In A Family Portrait
by sawyerzelda
Summary: Uptight, hard-nosed lawyer Zelda Cleverly was not looking for love when she hired the hottie next door to be her kid's nanny. AU, obviously, and LZ eventually.
1. Our Teenage Years

Author's Note:

**Author's Note**: WHOA, I did not expect to bounce back with a Zelda story so quickly! I totally forgot that I had even started this until a friend of mine mentioned it a few months ago. I think the reason I discontinued it at first (meaning I didn't put it on this site) was because **1**) there's an insane amount of (relatively minor) original characters that might become annoying to keep track of, and **2**) the idea is kind of lame. And by kind of, I mean extremely. But then I thought, what the heck. I miss my Zelda writing! 

**Here we go!—**

In the year 1994, the Wilton-Pearl Center of Psychology paid high schools across the nation to hand out self-evaluations to students so as to collect data of the average teenager's life and views. Before this theory was put into action, however, the test was given to a select group of students at each school. These were the students chosen at North Hollywood High:

"Emily Hamilton."

"Here," said an athletic-looking girl with brown hair pulled elegantly to the side.

"Louisa March."

"Here." Louisa was the only girl in school wearing green for St. Patrick's day.

"Marth Mulloy." 

"Yo." Marth had apparently thought the best way to rebel was to dye his hair blue (at least, most people assumed it was not his natural color).

"Trent McCombs?"

"Here," grunted a muscular soccer player in the back corner.

Finally the aide's eyes landed on the final name of the paper. "Zelda Harkinian."

The reply was not immediate, but eventually somebody said, "Present."

The aid raised an eyebrow and looked over his clipboard at Zelda. The pretty blonde was sitting in the first row with perfect posture, wearing a light pink shirt and a white skirt. When she spoke up again, her bright white teeth nearly blinded the aide. "Only…only it's Cleverly, sir."

"What?"

"Zelda Cleverly," she said. "Harkinian is my…my, uh, well…" Zelda blushed and cleared her throat. "My mom just got divorced, and she wanted to go back to her maiden name, which is Cleverly. Harkinian is old."

Emily, Louisa, Marth, and Trent all stared at her. The aide wondered if she had just blurted that out to get sympathy, when he noticed something on his paper. "Harkinian" had been crossed out in light pencil, and somebody had scribbled "Cleverly" beneath it in minute letters.

"Oh yes, sorry," the aide apologized, sounding indifferent. "My mistake." He then gave each student a packet, which rivaled the size of a small novel.

"_All_ this?" Marth asked incredulously, flipping through the pages.

"Yes, Mr. Mulloy, all that," the aide replied. "And don't flip through it!"

"Why not?" asked Emily.

"Those are just the _rules_, Ms. Hamilton," the aide said curtly. "Now—open your booklet to the first page and start. I want to hear absolutely NO talking."

The students all nodded and began their self-evaluating. Wondering what the purpose behind this was, Zelda resignedly opened the packet up to the first page:

_Male _

_ Female_

Zelda smiled to herself as she thought how outraged her mother would be to see that "male" had been placed on top. She could just see her saying, "Those sexist monkeys!" Smirking slightly, Zelda began doodling on the edge of the paper, drawing shapes around the artsy-fartsy letters "W & P," which was inscribed in the corner. Then she shook her head and came out of her reverie, moving on to the next question.

**What do you do in your spare time?** _Watch movies, hang out with friends, write in my diary, all that normal teenage stuff_.

**Describe your two best friends**: 

Zelda put her pen between her teeth. She didn't know which two friends to pick, because she didn't want the others to feel insulted or left out. Then she remembered that not only was her name not on the test, but everything was confidential.

_My best friend is probably Malon. She moved her a little while ago from the country and now I can't imagine my life without her. We are truly connected at the hip, we do almost everything together! _

_ My other number one friend is twice my age, but a complete sweetheart. She skis, snowboards, and goes boating every weekend. Megan (that's her name) is also a jogger._

Zelda grinned as she remembered the time Megan had called her at 6:00 in the morning, telling her to come meet her at the new track. She finished her paragraph by saying, _Megan is a great role model for me and her young kids_.

**What do you and your friends do when you hang out? **_Lecy and I usually go to the movies, and/or talk about guys. Megan and I usually just go to Sammy's café and talk about life. Not too thrilling, but it's what we do_.

**On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), how would you rate your relationship with your parents? **_My mom, maybe a 6 or 6.5; as for my dad…which stepfather do you want to hear about? Antonio's a 9 (he died), Tom is a 4, Mike's a 7.5, Rob is a 6, and Jeremy is a 2. _

**What is your favorite subject in school? **_English, I guess, because I like to write_.

**What is your favorite novel you have read for school? **_Either __To Kill A Mockingbird__ or __The Joy Luck Club__. Harper Lee and Amy Tan were brilliant!!_

New page.

**Do you like to work alone, or in groups? **_It depends on who's in the group…I mean some people just sit back and expect you to do everything, whereas if I'm with my friends, I love working in groups!_

**Whom do you aspire to be like? **_Megan, I suppose…and my big sister, Terra. OOH, AND AUDREY HEPBURN!! _

Suddenly, Zelda could feel somebody's eyes on her. She looked up. The aide was sitting asleep at his desk, Trent was staring down at his packet, as were Louisa and Emily. Zelda swallowed subconsciously and turned to look over her shoulder. Indeed, Zelda saw Marth's cold blue eyes staring intently back at her. His usual smirk was on his face as he slid his pencil between his teeth.

Zelda's insides turned ice cold. "What?" she mouthed.

"Thirty-two," he mouthed back.

She furrowed her brow and pursed her lips.

"Thirty-two," he whispered, looking rather amused about something.

Then, upon realizing Marth was quite ahead of her in the packet, Zelda deduced he was referring to a question number. She was only on fifteen, and managed to restrain her desire to flip ahead. But she did not forget the number. After finishing question thirty-one (**At what age do you feel it is appropriate for kids to start dating?**_—16-17_), it was with trembling hands that Zelda turned the page. Question thirty-two appeared as if it were not with the other questions; as if bold, underlined, italicized and in capital letters:

**Do you believe abstinence is a wise choice for teens?**

Zelda fought the very strong urge to turn around and stare at Marth. As she wrote her answer, she accidentally tore a small hole through the paper: _Absolutely_. And with that, she clamped her teeth shut and went on with the test.

No less than an hour later, everyone had finished the packet. Marth shouted loudly to wake up their aide—it didn't work; everyone else joined in, but there was no effect until Louisa started singing Ireland's national anthem at the top of her lungs, very off-key. To the relief of her classmates, the aide jerked awake. He collected their papers and dismissed them. 

Emily and Louisa left first, both chatting animatedly about the latest episode of "Roseanne." Then went Trent, deeply immersed in a sports magazine he'd had in his pocket. Marth took his time getting the few things he had. Zelda's cheeks burned as she picked up her bag. She could feel Marth behind her, staring at her. He followed her out of the classroom, much to her displeasure. 

"WHAT do you _want_, Marth?!" Zelda hissed, turning to face him suddenly and catching him off guard.

"What're you talking about?" Marth asked, not attempting in any way, shape, or form to look or act innocent. "I'm just leaving the room, like the man said."

"You're following me."

"Ooh, wouldn't you like that…you busy tonight, thirty-two?"

Zelda flushed again, and the look on her face would probably have caused most people to flinch. Before she could respond verbally, though, she was saved by a friendly voice calling out to her.

"Hey, Zel! All over? Was it complete tor…" She stopped mid-word upon noticing Marth was there, too.

"Hello, Malon," he said coolly.

"Why don't you beat it?" Malon asked coldly. "I'm sure Zelda's had a hard enough time today without you coming and making it worse."

"Right. You just keep protecting your crush, Mal. Catch you later, Zelda." Marth smirked again and then walked away.

"That jerk!" Malon growled through her teeth, turning red.

"He's just being an idiot," Zelda said, rolling her eyes. "Don't let him bother you. We'll be fine, Mal." Right after saying this, she suddenly dropped to the floor. "OW!"

"Whoa, Zel, you okay??" Malon asked worriedly, helping her out.

"Yeah…ow, this stomach ache is killing me!"

"You're under too much stress. Let's go hang out somewhere and relieve it."

"Sounds good."

**&-**

A few days later, in a rural New York high school, a similar occurrence, um… occurred, in which a small groups of students was getting the very same packet.

"Raissa Castellano."

"Here," said a small, Brazilian girl. 

"Steve Muller?"

A large, muscular kid nodded and lifted his hand. 

"Mido Bowman…"

"Here," replied a rather nerdy looking boy.

"Eliza Schreiber? Wait, is your name Elizabeth, or did it get cut off here…?"

"No, it's Eliza," said the perky brunette destined to be valedictorian.

"Eliza-beth?"

"No, just Eliza."

"Um, right…" The principal, who was reading the roll, sighed loudly as he read the last name on the list. "Link Vaughn."

Everyone in the classroom jumped when the door was flung suddenly open to reveal a middle-aged guy holding the collar of a senior.

"Here, Prince," said the blonde teen, his grin contrasting with the cross expression of the man holding him.

"Found him attempting to vandalize your office," said the aide. The boy frowned and yanked his shirt collar out of the man's grip.

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Lindeman," the principal said curtly, motioning for the man to release the boy. "So…thought you could skive off this one, eh, _Link?_"

Link shrugged and strutted to his seat. His outfit (complete with double-studded ears) and attitude suggested that he was channeling John Bender. Raissa didn't try bothering to cover up a lovelorn sigh from escaping her lips; even the well-composed cheerleader Eliza seemed to have trouble keeping the glow of admiration from her eyes as she watched him sit down. Link stared at her, and she quickly looked away. In an almost lewd sort of way, he said, "You're a junior, aren't you?"

Eliza was saved the embarrassment of answering by the principal. "_Mr_.Vaughn, I will not have you pestering Ms. Schreiber while you are in here. Or, while I'm at it, Ms. Castellano, Mr. Muller, or Mr. Bowman."

"Yes, Prince," Link said with mock seriousness, saluting his elder.

The principal turned an odd purple color—he hated the nickname Link had given him. "Up here by my desk, Vaughn."

Link made an exaggerated show of standing up, brushing Raissa as he passed her, and sitting down again. "Thank you, sir. I feel very special."

Saying nothing (but giving Link the evil eye), the principal began distributing the packets to the students. Link thanked him over-enthusiastically when the principal dropped one on his desk with a loud 'thud.'

"Isn't Link so polite?" Raissa whispered to Eliza through her teeth.

The cheerleader wanted to reply with something sarcastic to bring the other girl back to reality, but couldn't think of anything to say. She fought very hard to keep the ends of her mouth from twitching into a smile.

"All right, go ahead and start," the principal growled. He walked over to his desk, picked up his copy of The Catcher In the Rye, and started to read.

With a very loud, theatrical sigh, Link opened the booklet.

**Male**

**Female**

For a moment he considered putting the check down by "female," just as a joke, but quickly decided against it.

**What do you do in your spare time?** _I terrorize little children. If I'm not doing that (due to a lack of kids), one could find me playing video games or drawing cartoons_.

**Describe your two best friends**. Link rolled his eyes at this one, thinking how incredibly stupid the whole test was. _My two "best friends" are losers_.

**What do you and your friends do when you hang out? **_Exchange tips on scaring kids while smoking in an empty parking lot_. Link had never actually smoked before, but the answer seemed satisfying enough when it came to frightening the superintendent out of his wits. Ha, ha.

**On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), how would you rate your relationship with your parents? **Link put his pen between his teeth and thought for a moment. It couldn't hurt to be a little melodramatic. _My dad would be a zero. Zip. Nata. Nothing. Squat. _He was about to write something similarly nasty about his mother, but soon changed his mind. Not that she'd ever see this test, but the thought of his mother realizing he'd given her a zero out of ten made Link feel a little sick. 

_My mother I'd give an __8.5__ 9._The thought of having his mother see this and beam with happiness brought a smile to Link's face.

"Vaughn!"

The principal's voice cracked like a whip across the room. Everyone else's head went up. They stared, from the principal to Link. The teenager appeared to be reading the next question on his test, but his eyes were not moving.

"Link! Vaughn!" the principal roared so loudly that Raissa and Eliza winced, Mido squeaked, and even Steve flinched. "I am _talking_ to you!!"

"Oh, sorry, Prince," Link said. He stuck his pinky finger into his ear, moved it around, then pulled it back out with a flourish. "I couldn't hear you." 

The principal's face purpled again. "You were smirking!"

"What?" Link asked, honestly baffled.

"Just a moment ago, that infamous smirk of yours crept onto your face!" the principal yelled, actually spraying spit onto Eliza by accident in the process. With a look of disgust, Eliza took a tissue from a packet out of her bag and wiped her face with it. Fuming, the principal said, "Vaughn, up here to my desk. NOW." He had hoped talking to Link quietly at said location would keep the others from getting too distracted.

This plan failed, however, because Link didn't feel like walking. Very loudly, he scooted out from his desk and, still sitting in his chair, made his way up to the principal.

"What were you smirking about?" the man demanded—he was gripping the sides of his desk so tightly, his knuckles were growing white. "Well??"

"I have no idea why it's any of your business, Prince, but I was smiling. Not smirking, as you so accuse me."

"Oh, smiling, were we?" the principal asked. He noticed the other students trying to eavesdrop, and lowered his voice. "Imagining the girl waiting in bed for you once you leave, huh?"

Link's eyebrows raised and he stared at him, looking half-bewildered and half full of loathing. "Excuse me, SIR?

"You heard me," said the principal, who was now the one smirking. "Back to work, you four!" he barked suddenly, looking over Link at the other students. "Mr. Vaughn and I are discussing very important things over here!"

Link felt a burning desire to turn and say, "Yeah, he wants to know what time to pick you up today, Raissa," but didn't feel that would be a very nice thing to say to the innocent looking girl. So he satisfied himself by merely folding his arms and sinking lower into his chair. 

"For your information, Prince," Link muttered coldly, "I was thinking about my mother. Is that so abysmally against the law?"

"Oh, your mother, was it?" the man whispered airily. "How's she been, Mr. Vaughn? I hard she caught another, er…_social_ disease at _work_ the other day…?"

In an instant, Link was on his feet. He had a fistful of the man's collar in his right hand, and his features were arranged in a very freaky manner.

"Put your fist down, kid," he said, trying to keep his cool.

"I don't ever want to hear you say something like that about my mother ever, _ever_ again," Link growled. He threw the principal back into his seat, then grabbed his chair and returned to his desk. 

The principal cleared his throat and straightened his tie before opening his mouth to speak—only Link cut him off: "S'okay guys, just go on working."

A moment later, a small scrap of paper landed on his desk, piquing his curiosity. He checked to make sure "Prince" was once more deeply immersed in his novel before unfolding it surreptitiously.

_What was that all about?? You okay?_

A half-hearted grin formed on Link's face. He looked over at Eliza, who was very red in the face and determinedly scribbling down an answer on her test.

_It was nothing. I'm fine. Thanks._ He tossed the note back to her, then resignedly continued the monotonous test

**What is your favorite subject in school?** He snorted so loudly at the absurdity of this question that the two girls by him jumped. _Lunch. And or gym, where I make boys cower in fear and scream like little kids._

** What is your favorite novel you have read for school? **_Hm…what are these 'novels' of which you speak? Ah, are these books? I do not read books. I find them lacking in movement and fun. My favorite movie is the Breakfast Club, though. Was that ever a book?_

**Do you prefer to work alone, or in groups? **_I am a lone wolf_.

**Whom do you aspire to be like? **_Well, aside from John Bender, Marlon Brando, and James Dean, I want to be most like my __biggest__ hero, Principal Weitzerman!! Woo-hoo!_

Link hoped that whoever it was looking at his test would note his sarcasm. And that was the last question he answered, because just then, the principal stood up and told them he was collecting their tests.

"I'm not done, Prince," said Link.

"Well, that's just too darn bad," the man said unsympathetically. Once he had gotten all their tests, the principal returned to the front of the classroom. "All right then, if there are no questions, you may all leave."

Link's hand promptly went up into the air. The principal ignored him. "Ah, yes, Ms. Schreiber?" he said pleasantly, when the brunette's hand slowly went up.

"Um…Link has his hand raised." Eliza was not stupid enough to think the principal had not _noticed_ Link; on the contrary she was fully aware of the situation and wanted him to be forced to call on the punk.

"…a-hem, yes, well thank you, Ms. Schreiber," he grumbled, though looking thoroughly bothered. "What is it, Vaughn?"

"I was just curious, Prince," Link said. "How is it that _we_ lucky five were chosen to take this test, out of 500 students or more?"

The principal looked very much like he'd love to ignore this query, but as the other four started nodding and looking inquisitive, he figured he had to answer. "We merely selected students we thought…represented different, er…groups …of our school, if you must know."

"So, is that it?" Link asked with faux anger as his classmates began packing up. "You just see us as these types, stereotypes of the simplest definitions, and nothing else, is that right, Prince?"

The man sighed with an air of unimportance and did not answer.

"Sir, I believe that we are _all_ a brain—" He nodded at Mido, who was leaving, "—an athlete—" He exchanged friendly punches with Steve—"a cheerleader!—" He gave Eliza a high-five—"a…uh, foreign exchange student!—" He smiled wearily at Raissa, who gave him an exasperated grin in return—"and we are all criminals. Rebels!" he finished, inches from the principal's face. 

"GET OUT OF THIS ROOM!" the man yelled, his veins throbbing.

"Gladly, Prince," said the self-proclaimed rebel. He spat in the man's face, then bolted out the door.

"DETENTION!" the principal screamed as Link rounded a corner. "NO, SUSPENSION, VAUGHN! I WILL GET YOU EX_PELLED_ IF IT'S THE LAST THAT THING I DO IN MY NATURAL-BORN LIFE!"

"It will be, at the rate his heart must be going," said a voice from behind Link. He whirled around and saw Eliza Schreiber, the school's most popular student, staring back at him, an odd expression on her face.

"Oh…hey," he said awkwardly. While very bravado and macho around his fellow guys, Link found he became strangely quiet when he was alone with a pretty girl.

Eliza was actually not all that stunningly beautiful; in fact she was almost plain, but her perfect teeth and lovely smile led one to believe she was a future Miss America. She said, "You're a little weird, Link."

"Um…thanks?" Popular people had said that to him before, but Eliza didn't have the cold bite in her voice when she said it like others had.

"No, no I—I meant in a kind of good way," she said. "I mean…that was really cool how you stood up to the Prince like that. A little insane, maybe, but totally cool."

Link grinned. She had used his nickname for The Man without even realizing it. "Thanks. I just, y'know…" He shrugged. "I figure I'm not getting anywhere in school or this town, anyway. I'll be out of Prince's hair once the year's out. I'll be out of this crummy, little town, doing whatever I want. School doesn't matter to me no more."

"That's a shame," Eliza said. "Because I've been watching you, Link, and you're _smart_. What Prince said about us having types now is true, but in case you forgot, we went to the same grade and middle school together. I'm a senior as you very well know, and except for the two years you spent at that other academy, I've been in your class our entire lives. You've got a brain, Link, a good one, but now you only use it to get attention and rebel against authority."

"Hey, not that I'm not enjoying your lecture or anything, but what are you trying to say?" Link asked with annoyance, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

The cheerleader sighed, brushing some strands of hair distractedly from her face. "I'm not…I'm not sure…you're a pretty cool guy, Link, I just hope that doesn't get you in trouble some day." And before Link could object or reply to this, Eliza stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

He stared at her. She was trying to act nonchalant, as if it had been nothing, but her cheeks were once again becoming that familiar red color. They continued staring at each other until a pack of cheerleaders suddenly appeared at the staircase a few feet in front of Link and Eliza.

"Um, Eliza? Hell_oo??_" said a red-head, popping a large bubble of gum. "Your stupid test thing is like, over, right? School's been out for ten minutes, and we're going to the movies with Dick, Rick, and Blaine, remember?"

Eliza turned from looking at the cheerleaders back to Link, with whom it had just registered that Blaine Walter's girlfriend had just kissed him. "Good-bye," she whispered, looking pained.

"I'll remember what you said," he called after her as she walked towards her gaggle of friends.

"Like, um, Eliza? _Why_ were you talking to that weirdo?" the red-head asked as they turned a corner.

"Well, he was taking the test too, and…" She was too far away; her words were starting to become incomprehensible. Frowning, Link's curiosity got the better of him and he decided to follow them. 

At least, that had been his plan. He was ambushed by Steve Muller, who was surrounded by his football-playing friends. For a wild moment, Link thought he was being attacked, but then realized Steve was hugging him like a buddy-buddy.

"That was awesome how you stood up to The Man, Vaughn!" Steve yelled gleefully. "I just told the whole team about it!—including your Breakfast Club tribute. Nice touch, man."

"Oh, uh, thanks," Link said.

"The guys and I are going to watch the game at my house tonight, d'you wanna come, too?"

"Oh, er—sorry, can't. I've got to finish my video project for Colletti," Link lied quickly, knowing full well he wouldn't fit in with the football players.

"Aw, well that sucks," Steve said. "But see you 'round, huh, Vaughn?"

"Yeah."

"See ya!" 

And with that, they went their separate ways. Link walked along down the hallway, stopping only to have a drink at a water fountain. After stepping away from said fountain, he noticed Mido waving wildly to him from inside a classroom. Link looked at the sign posted on the door: "Geography Club." He gave an embarrassed smile and wave before moving on. 

Now he just wanted to get home. Link walked briskly out of the building, right into Raissa and a group of her Brazilian friends. 

"Hi, Link!" Raissa said excitedly to him as he passed by.

"Heyy," he said, waving and continuing on his way.

"Great job with the Prince today!" she called earnestly after him.

Slowly, Link grinned and turned around. "Thanks, Raissa."

"You're welcome, fellow foreign exchange student!" she said, winking. A few of her teeth were a bit crooked, but Raissa's dimples were so pronounced that her smile almost made Link blush. He laughed and then left Raissa to explain the inside joke to her rather confused friends. 

For one of the first times in his life, Link felt proud. All four he'd been with had approached him like he was some kind of hero (well, Mido hadn't "approached" him, so to speak, but he would have if the fascination of geography hadn't been calling his name beforehand). Smiling to himself, he went on his way home.

Indeed, Link wasn't even aware that he had been strutting a tad until his father was kind enough to point it out: "You're strutting, boy," was the first thing he said when Link walked in the door. "Vaughns never strut."

"I'll use that against you someday, old man," Link responded coldly. He threw his jacket onto a chair and walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, hello, dear!" his mother said, stepping around the table to hug him briefly. "How was that personality test today?"

Link shrugged and sat down as his mother went back to mixing egg whites. "Pretty stupid, but not that bad, I guess…I mean, at least it got me out of last period."

"Last period?" his mother asked, sounding a little worried. "Isn't that when you have math class?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, I didn't really think math was something you should miss…"

"Mom, it's not like I had a choice," Link said, sounding exasperated but trying not to let it show. It didn't help when his father entered the room, but Link went on anyway. "We like, _had_ to take this test."

"Impa," Link's father said, "Did I hear correctly that Link has missed _math_, the class he is most in danger of failing?"

"Yeah, old man, you heard right," Link answered. "I missed math for a school reason. What do you intend to do about it?"

"Don't you use that tone with me! And get your dirty feet off the table!" his father yelled, turning red in the face.

"Nick, please," his wife said quietly.

"Impa, stay out of this! I'll tell you what I intend to do about it—you're going straight back to school to your math teacher, to learn what you've missed!"

Link looked at his father as if the man had just sprouted a second head. Then, "Fine. Fine, old man. You're absolutely right." He stood up, picked up his jacket, and left the house, unceremoniously closing the door with a slam.

Nick nodded and muttered something reassuring to himself, then went back to the living room. Impa frowned. She knew better than to believe Link was actually going back to school, she just wished she knew where he _was_ headed. 

Impa's maternal instinct was correct in that the last place Link intended on going was school. He decided to go to the local move theater, the most popular teen hangout spot. Here Link would see only familiar faces; kids from school, those who would acknowledge him and those wouldn't. He knew every inch of the theater like the back of his own hand. Link wasn't sure what movie he wanted to see yet, so he walked around the inside of the building to entertain himself.

They'd at last gotten rid of the barf stain on the carpet outside of theater one, which had once shown Nightmare on Elm Street. The poster for The Joy Luck Club had finally been replaced by one for Little Women. Link squinted and looked very hard at the glass over the poster, and grinned—though barely visible, he could still see the many imprints left by tween-age boys kissing the glass that had once been over Tamlyn Tomita's face (the sick weirdos).

Eventually, Link settled on a 3:50 Shawshank Redemption. When the movie got out, he went to a pay-phone and called his mother. "Hey mom."

"My, my, aren't you late getting out of your math lesson?" she asked, implying that she very well knew he had not been at school.

"I'm stupid. It takes a while for things to get through my thick skull."

"…" Silence.

"Okay, okay. Morgan Freeman was calling for me, mom. I had to heed the call."

Impa laughed. "At the movie theater, are we?"

"Well, _I_ am, I'm pretty sure _you're_ at home, though," he joked.

"Are you coming home for dinner now, Link?"

He was about to reply, when the sight of two extremely unfamiliar people caught his eye. Link furrowed his brow. Who were they? A boy who'd gone and dyed his hair blue, having a frustrated conversation with the blonde next to him. The girl's back was to Link, but that was all it took for him to know he had never seen _that_ figure in school—or anywhere else in town—before.

"Hello, Link? Are you there?"

"Oh, oh yeah, sorry, mom."

"So? Are you coming home?"

The girl turned around and looked up at the poster over Link's head. His mouth dropped open. Never before had Link seen a more beautiful person. Her wavy blonde hair partially covered her icy blue eyes, a lá Veronica Lake. A somewhat pouty expression was on her face at the moment, but in some odd way, that made her even better-looking.

It took his mother's voice to make Link realize he had stopped breathing. 

"My dear, is everything all right?"

"Oh yeah, sorry," Link said quickly, tearing his eyes away from Greek Goddess Girl so as to concentrate. "Um…you know, I think I'll stick around here for a while. Maybe catch another movie."

"Oh, all right," Impa said, sounding a little disappointed. "Well, in that case I suppose I'll see you when you get home…bye."

"Bye, mom." He hung up the phone and walked out of the booth. Then, as surreptitiously as was possible, he wandered towards the two unfamiliar teens. 

"…Goddesses, Marth, why do you always have to make such big deals out of every little thing?"

"I'm not making a big deal out of anything, Zelda!" the boy argued back. "C'mon, let's just go see it okay? What's the problem?"

"I told you, I just don't feel comfortable seeing it…"

The boy laughed. "Aw, don't be a wuss, Zelda. Your parents aren't here, they aren't following up on you!"

"Yeah, but…"

"You'll like it, I promise."

Link, who had been pretending to check movie times, narrowed his eyes as he watched "Marth" lead "Zelda" over to the ticket booth. Just as he was wondering how he could approach them, he noticed something fall out of Zelda's purse. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a wallet, but Zelda didn't seem to have realized it fell. They were walking away, and Link seized it—the chance, and the wallet. 

Once he got into the multiplex, Link immediately cast about looking for the teens. But all around him, he could only see kids from school. Then he spotted a head of blue hair walking into the restroom. The girl appeared to be waiting outside for him, leaning casually against the wall. 

She was wearing a white, button-down blouse with a short black skirt. Out of curiosity, Link opened her wallet and stared at her driver's license. He'd never seen an I.D. picture that good. "Zelda Harkinian." Was that European, or something? Then his eyes fell on her birthday. She was eighteen…

Just then it seemed to occur to Zelda that her wallet was missing. She whipped around to start looking for it and suddenly gasped, because she had found herself face-to-face with a gorgeous blonde stranger, staring right back at her.

"Excuse me, but is this yours?" he asked gently, holding up Zelda's wallet.

"Oh…uh, yes, it is," she said, feeling a little foolish for some reason. "Thanks," she added when he handed it to her. "Not many people would go to the trouble to give someone back their wallet…"

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I don't know that I would've given it back if I hadn't known who it belonged to…"

When Zelda gave him a rather inquisitive look, he went on.

"I was, uh…sort of watching you and that guy you were with."

She laughed. "I saw you looking at us, actually. I thought perhaps you had been staring at my boyfriend's weird hair."

Link forced himself to laugh as well._ Ah, boyfriend_. _Shoot_. "Well, it's just that, uh…this is one of those places in town where you generally know every face you see, and…you two didn't really look all that familiar. Are you new in town, or…?"

"Oh, no," she replied quickly. "My sister is graduating from the Hunt Academy, and my parents flew me and my boyfriend out here to see her."

"Ah, I see. Where are you visiting this humble state from?"

She smiled at his politeness. "California."

"Really? You don't say…so just poppin' by here to catch a flick, huh?"

For a brief moment, Zelda gave him a look as if to say "Why else would we come to a movie theater?" but didn't want to act potentially rude to a boy who was being so nice to her. "Yes…Pulp Fiction."

He raised his eyebrows and she gave small sigh.

"Yeah, I know, it doesn't really seem like the kind of movie I'd…a girl like me would want really to watch, but heaven forbid that my boyfriend should be seen in Little Women, you know?"

The thought of that blue-haired punk sitting through a Winona Ryder period piece _did _strike Link as rather funny. He laughed, and Zelda smiled as well. "That is most unfortunate. My deepest apologies—I hope you enjoy your Pulp Fiction."

"Thanks," Zelda said, smiling with exasperation.

At that time, Marth finally re-emerged from the bathroom. He fixed Link with a very cold stare.

"Oh, Marth, you're back," Zelda observed keenly. "He's just returned my wallet." She turned to ask Link for his name, but frowned upon realizing that he seemed to have disappeared. "Where did he—?"

"C'mon, let's go," Marth muttered, taking hold of Zelda's arm. "Time to go see disco boy shed some blood, thirty-two."

It had only taken Link a few seconds to move a bit backwards, find a seat, and fade into the other crowds of people. He didn't feel like a confrontation with a boyfriend, but he had listened to Marth and Zelda's conversation until they entered theater eight.

Letting out a loud sigh, Link leaned back into his chair and stared at the ceiling. He'd never see that boy or that girl again, and that made him feel slightly regretful. For a moment Link considered asking Zelda for her telephone number, but then remembered two things: one, it would probably upset her boyfriend; and two, she lived in California and the long-distance call bills would probably make his father blow every capillary in his body. With another angsty sigh, Link got to his feet and began to patrol the multiplex again, hands in his coat pockets.

He saw Blaine Walters and Eliza Schreiber necking in a shadowy corner—Link couldn't help but think of the Groucho Marx quote, "Whoever called it 'necking' was a poor judge of anatomy." He smirked and continued on his way. Link stopped by a poster that showed little photos of every "Best Picture" Oscar winner. His eyes scanned the poster, stopping now and then on the familiar titles, such as Kramer vs. Kramer, The Sound of Music, and On the Waterfront. Upon spotting Gone with the Wind, Link grinned and almost let out a loud laugh.

His mother had forced him to watch that with her when he was about eight. He hadn't seen it since, but he remembered it as the first time he had ever fallen so hard for a woman—Vivien Leigh had been his first real crush. Naturally, he was appropriately devastated when his mother had told him she'd been dead for twenty years.

Eventually looking away from the poster, Link was quite surprised to see Zelda sitting on a bench outside theater eight, looking distressed about something. Furrowing his brow, Link wondered whether or not he should go over to her. Next thing he knew—

"Odd nickname, ain't it?"

Zelda jumped and looked up. Link was sitting down next to her, exuding a solicitous feeling. She didn't know quite what to say, so Link went on to explain his statement: "Thirty-two, I mean."

"Oh, that," she finally said. "Well…there was this weird test we took at school the other day…some personality test, or something."

"Do you mean that test from Wilton-Pearl?" Link asked incredulously.

"Yes," Zelda replied, looking equally stunned. "How'd you…"

"I just took that today, too…kind of stupid, wasn't it?"

"A little," Zelda agreed, with a smile.

"At least it got me out of last period," they said simultaneously. They stared at each other, then respectively burst out laughing.

"Anyway…I don't suppose you can recall what question number thirty-two was?" Zelda asked, biting down on her lip.

"Sorry to say I never got that far. I did like, ten questions." Her shocked expression pressured him to add, "I got into a bit of a fight with the principal."

"Wow."

"So," Link said with the air of one changing the subject. "Travolta and Jackson didn't cut it for you, huh?"

It took Zelda a moment to get what he meant. "Oh, oh, that…no, I guess not…I never really was one for Tarantino pictures."

"I understand," Link said. He fingered the twenty dollar bill in his pocket and decided he might not have another chance. He took a small, steadying breath and said, "There's a showing of Little Women in about fifteen minutes. Any interest?"

Zelda stared wordlessly at him. "W-what, you mean, like…us? See it together?"

"Yeah, sure," Link said.

She stared. Was he going to turn out to be some kind of jerk who was going to try and take advantage of her in a dark theater? He _did_ look a tad shady... "That's really nice of you to offer, but…" Oh, he can't be that bad, could he?

Link stood up. "Take it or leave it, Zelda, but you'd best make up your mind sooner or later. That show will be sold out any minute now. You game?"

A little unsure of what she was doing, Zelda decided to take a risk and nodded with a silly grin on her face.

He smiled back. "I'll just be a second," he said before strolling towards the ticket line, whistling.

She blushed and looked down at the floor. Zelda was so fascinated by this stranger that she didn't even stop to wonder how he'd learned her name. Feeling a little guilty, Zelda bit on her lip again and stole another glance at Link. He was wearing a long, black overcoat on top of a very old, frayed denim jacket with red-plaid lining. In typical rebel style he also sported gloves (black ones) that had been cut off at the knuckles, and he had two silver rings in both his ears. Smiling to herself, Zelda thought Link was exactly the kind of guy her mother would want her to stay away from. But other than the fact that his outfit would never be allowed in her mother's sight, Zelda could find nothing remotely offensive about him. In fact it seemed he was sort of sweet, which was an adjective Zelda hadn't used to describe a man with for a very long time…if ever.

"Hey, here ya go."

Oh, he was back already. "Wow, thanks," she said awkwardly. Now she finally understood what it was like to feel that that was too small a phrase, and wished she could say more. She followed Link to theater four, saying, "It really means a lot to me that…_some_ guy'll take me to see Little Women."

Link shrugged and subconsciously held the door open for her. "Hey, I like Winona and Claire Danes. 'S nice to be seeing this movie with, uh…someone. Not just alone, you know. Like a geek."

"You saying your girlfriend didn't want to come with you?" Zelda suddenly found herself saying. Link stared at her, and she abruptly felt mortified, as if she had just said a Doris Day line out of a very cheesy '50s romantic comedy.

_Is she flirting with me? _"Uh…well, hard to believe as it is, I have no girlfriend at the moment. Just had a break-up a couple weeks ago, actually."

"Oh…I'm very sorry," Zelda said quietly, slightly red.

"S'okay."

But if Link was telling the truth, Zelda thought, he had just told her something very important, and probably without even realizing it. She didn't know exactly how long "a couple weeks ago" was, but at least it showed her Link was sensitive. Zelda knew Marth had hooked up with her the day after breaking up with his previous girlfriend. Someone like Link was probably interested in more than just a body…why couldn't she have seen Marth for what he was?

Link, upon noticing Zelda was looking positively tormented, asked concernedly, "Hey, are you all right?"

She froze. He had just put his hand on hers, probably just by instinct and without thinking, but all the same Zelda felt a shiver go down her spine and she withdrew her hand. "I'm fine, sorry. I was just thinking, you know…"

"What about?"

_My, aren't you nosy! _was what she would've said to someone like Marth, but Zelda didn't feel it right to snap at Link. So she made something up. "I was just thinking about what happens to Beth."

"Beth?" Link repeated, looking politely puzzled. "Friend of yours?"

"No, silly!" She pointed at the movie screen. "Beth! Like, y'know, come on, Beth—Beth! March!"

Link gave her a very blank stare.

"Don't tell me you're seeing Little Women and have no idea what it's about?"

"Of course I don't," Link replied, as if the idea was ludicrous. "What would be the point of seeing it if I already knew what was gonna happen?"

"Well hey, _I_ know what's gonna happen, but I'm still seeing it, aren't I? I thought everyone knew the story of Little Women! I mean I've seen the Katharine Hepburn one, the Liz Taylor one, and I've read the book as well."

"You read the book?" Link asked, as if nothing could be more shocking.

"Well, sure! I take this class at school where you read books and then compare them to the movie based on them, and Little Women was one of our long-term assignments. Had to watch all three movies."

"Bet the guys loved that," Link snorted, eliciting a laugh from Zelda. "Y'know, I think my school has a class like that, yeah…I was gonna take it, but the assignment over the summer was Gone with the Wind."

"Yikes, that would scare off a lot of people," Zelda laughed.

"It sure scared off me."

But just about then, the previews started, and it was much too loud for any further conversation to go on.

A while into the show, Zelda started wondering if her escort was at all horribly bored with this woman's movie. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and that was all it took. She could tell from the look on his face that Link was paying rapt attention—he didn't have that glossed-over, glassy-eyed expression that Marth got when Zelda made him sit through The Joy Luck Club and The Women. Zelda smiled and resisted the urge to touch Link's hand again. She chastised herself for being unfaithful, which she then realized was ridiculous for Marth's oft-wandering eyes. _Frown_.

As could have been expected, Zelda was crying shamelessly in Claire Danes' final scene, and even Link shed a tear for Zelda's sake. The thought of poor Beth dying was very depressing, and the only way she could stop thinking about it was to think of something else.

So Zelda settled on the thought of Jo rebuking Laurie—that was also a rather upsetting scene, but it made her think about herself and Marth. Jo had very quietly, very masterfully, turned Laurie down…and though hard as it was initially, he eventually got over it. Frowning, Zelda wondered if she could ever do the same with Marth, but there were so many obstacles to consider.

Laurie was much more understanding and gentle than Marth was; he had genuinely felt in love with Jo. Also, he and Jo had never been "together," just friends, so it was easier for her to let him down…

"_I'm sorry Laurie, so __desperately__ sorry…but I can't say I love you when I don't_.

Spoken with such sad decidedness; solemn, forlorn, regretful sisterly affection.

And then, very suddenly, it was over. Two hours had gone by, and yet it had felt only like two minutes to the strangers.

"That was pretty good," Link said sincerely. "Glad I saw it…"

"Me too," Zelda agreed. However she, unlike Link, wasn't looking at the credits, but rather at him. "Meee toooo…"

They both stood up at the same time, and Zelda turned to face Link, blocking his way out of the aisle. "Er…"

"Hey, I know you must think I'm totally weird, but I just wanted to tell you something before we…go back to my boyfriend."

"Oh, okay…"

"I can't believe I'm telling this to a complete and total stranger, but…I've had a better time tonight than I've ever had with Marth—my, my uh, boyfriend, that is… and I just wanted to say _thanks_."

"You're welcome, Zelda Harkinian."

She opened her mouth to say something, then laughed. "You looked at my driver's license, didn't you?"

"You are quite perceptive."

"Yes, well, Harkinian's an old name. My mother has a bad habit of getting married and divorced a lot…in fact, she just got divorced from husband number five and is now engaged to hubby number six."

"Wow," Link breathed, refraining from saying, "that sucks." "So if your last name's not Harkinian, may I inquire as to what it is?"

Zelda laughed again, reminding herself that under normal circumstances she'd call a guy shady for asking something that personal. But this boy was different, as she already knew, so she decided to tell him the truth: "Pretty soon I expect my last name'll be Mulloy."

"Mulloy, huh?" Link asked, trying not to think of Marlon Brando (A/N: sorry; you won't get that if you haven't seen on the waterfront). "Well, Zelda Mulloy, it's been my honor and pleasure to spend this evening with you."

"What's your name?" she finally blurted out. "Who…who _are_ you?"

"A friend."

"That's all I get, huh?" she asked, smiling sadly.

"'Fraid so."

"Well, thanks for the movie ticket, friend," Zelda said, trying not to laugh.

They walked out of the theater and—wouldn't you know it—bumped right into Marth. There was a strange aroma about him and he was not, shall we say, acting like a sober person.

"Ah, no," Zelda sighed.

"Whoa Zel that movie was so awesome," Marth said, his speech very slurred. "Fulp Pliction—_hic—_real good."

"He spiked his own soda again," Zelda explained to Link, who had been wondering where Marth had gotten beer.

"I see."

"Wanna go against thirty-two, thirty-two?" Marth asked, laughing rather stupidly.

Zelda turned red and pulled Marth's arms off her. "Get off me, you sick drunkard!" she muttered. She felt very humiliated that Link had to see her (and/or her boyfriend) acting like this. Zelda tried to joke it off by saying, "So much for my escort home, huh." She attempted a laugh, but it didn't come off sounding very amused.

"He taking you to your sister's?" Link asked.

"Well, he was supposed to walk me there, anyway."

"I wouldn't recommend it."

"Hey, who're you to recommend anything to anybody?" Marth asked, glaring at Link. "You Oprah, or something? Ha, ha, I just called you a woman!" Then, in a very unfocused manner, he undid the first button of Zelda's blouse.

"Not on my watch," Link growled. And with not further warning, he shot Marth one right between the eyes. Shortly after giving a zany smile, the blue-head collapsed, utterly unconscious.

"He-he's out cold!" Zelda deduced a few moments later. "You…you…"

"Sorry," Link said, sounding as if he meant it. "It's just…when my dad comes home like that sometimes…and he gives my mom that look…it gets both of us scared…" He rubbed the knuckles of his right hand. "That's just my instinct, y'know?" Slowly, Link lifted his gaze to meet Zelda's eyes. "It's the only way to make ourselves feel safe."

"How…I don't know how to respond to that," Zelda said, rubbing her temple with her index finger.

"How about by letting me take you home?" Link suggested.

_Is he serious? _"W-what about Marth?" Zelda asked, wondering why she had to try so hard not to smile.

Link shrugged. "You'd be surprised how many guys pass out at this theater… everyone just leaves 'em alone, and then eventually they wake up and everybody goes business as usual."

"Kind of dangerous, isn't it?" Zelda asked, a note of disbelief in her voice.

He just shrugged again

A wry smile finally crept onto Zelda's face. "Friend…do you know where Griffith Road is?"

"Sure do—right by the nicest park in town."

"Care to show me the way?"

"I'd be glad to," Link responded, very gentlemanly like.

For a short while, there was an odd silence between the two as they walked.

"So," Zelda finally said, "Have you ever been to California before?"

"Uh…" He appeared to be having some trouble remembering. "I think my mom took me there when I was like three…yeah, she took me to Disneyland." He grinned. "I remember now, I was so upset that I never saw Mickey Mouse—y'know, 'cause in all the ads and stuff they show the kid hugging Mickey…come to think of it, I didn't even see Minnie, either."

"Aw, you poor thing," Zelda laughed ruefully. She loved his smile…it was so beautiful, genuine, and sweet—so altogether different from Marth Mulloy's…

"How long you going to be in New York for?" Link asked a moment later.

"Oh, a couple more days, I think," Zelda replied with a shrug. The shrug turned into a shiver, and she suddenly became aware of the fact that her teeth were chattering.

"Are you cold?"

"J-just a little," Zelda said, rubbing her hands together. "In California, we aren't exactly used to, er…having seasons, you know?"

"Here."

Before Zelda realized what was happening, Link had taken off his large overcoat and flung it around her shoulders. She looked up at him in awe as they stood on a street corner, waiting for the light to change. "But this is y…aren't _you_ cold?"

"You kiddin'?" Link asked. "I'm used to this weather. I'm actually a really hot guy in general."

_I'll say you are_, Zelda couldn't help thinking to herself.

"—in that my body temperature is very warm and in order for me to get cold, you'd have to ship me off to Antarctica and drop me naked into the ocean there."

This mental image caused Zelda to turn a very bright red, but fortunately darkness was her friend and Link didn't notice. She pulled his coat tighter around herself before asking her next question: "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" 

An amused smile played faintly across Zelda's lips. "You know…each time I start wandering towards the curb, you sort of come between me and the street."

"Oh." It was Link who was blushing now. He hoped she'd drop it, but as she didn't say anything, Link knew she wanted an answer. "Well…it's nothin', really…just when I was a kid, my uncle used to tell me it was always polite to, er…for the guy to walk on the outside."

"And why is that?"

"Well, I guess so's if a car came by and splashed up some mud or rain water or summat, they guy'd get it and not the lady."

"Ah, I see. A little old-fashioned."

Link only shrugged. "Chivalry ain't dead."

Zelda beamed at him.

"This is Griffith," Link said, nodding at the street sign.

"Oh my, is it already?" Zelda asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. "How the time flies…"

"What's the house number?"

"Twelve."

Link raised his eyebrows. "Your sister lives on Twelve Griffith Road?!"

"Yes," Zelda answered, surprised at his surprise. She walked down the sidewalk, Link close at her heels. 

"Wow," was all he could say. That house was the biggest, famously luxurious abode in the area (it was rumored Liza Minelli had lived there at one time). _Zelda's family must really be rolling in the cash_, Link reasoned.

"Well, this is it," Zelda said needlessly when they arrived at house number twelve. "Thanks a lot…this has undeniably been one of the best nights of my life…whereas I know it wouldn't have been that way had I been forced to spend it with my jerk of a so-called boyfriend." Link stared blankly at her, and Zelda suddenly realized with horror what she had just revealed. "Uh—"

"S'okay," Link interrupted her. "I wish we could…see each other... again sometime, Zelda."

"Me too," Zelda whispered, biting down on her lip. "Hey, you never know, maybe we will someday."

Link smiled wryly and stepped out from the light a street lamp had been casting on them. "Maybe," he said. This wasn't what he really felt, but it sounded much more reassuring and romantic than "I doubt it."

"Good-bye," Zelda said. "If—if you're ever in California, look me up, huh?"

"Zelda Harkinian Mulloy." Link nodded. "Got it. …bye."

They stood looking at each other for a long time; neither wanted to be the first to leave. Zelda was having a hard time keeping herself from bursting into a loud chorus of "Don't You Forget About Me." And it was then that Link finally turned and started to walk slowly away. As Zelda headed towards the front door, she swore she could hear him singing softly. "I said _la_, la, la, la, laa…"

As soon as she was safely inside the house, Zelda dashed up the stairs and raced to the room where she knew her sister would be waiting.

"Terra—oh, hello Viv, are you here, too? Hi. Ah, I've just—"

"Zelda," her sister Vivien interrupted slowly. "Who…whose jacket is that you're wearing? It's way too big for you!"

"Oh, it's—" Then Zelda realized with a start that she was still wearing Nameless' jacket. She bolted towards the room's large window, and opened it to see Link still walking away. "Hey! Hey, stranger!" she called to him.

Link stopped and turned around. "Yeah?" he asked, sounding amused.

"You—you, ah, forgot your coat," Zelda replied, tugging on the collar. "Come over here, down by the window so I can throw it back."

"Keep it," he said back to her. "It's a gift to help you remember me."

"I'll never forget you," she said breathlessly. "D'you really mean for me to keep it? I, I mean—"

"Sure. You know that California weather—you'll be dead without a coat!"

"Yes, you're right," Zelda laughed. Goodbye seemed so much harder to say the second time…

Fortunately, Link was the one who said it first again. "Well…I guess I'll be seein' you then, Zelda."

She nodded, though not sure if he could see it. "Good-bye…" Zelda shut the window, blushing, and turned to face her two sisters. Well actually, Vivien was the only real sister Zelda had—she and Terra had different fathers. Both Viv and Terra had inherited their mother's green eyes, but that was all they had in common.

"Lawdy, Miss Scawlett!" Vivien said in a high-pitched voice, patting Zelda's scarlet cheek. "I ain't seen you this flushed since we saw Glenn Quinn at an airport!"

"Oh, come off it, Vivien," Zelda scoffed. She slipped out of Link's jacket (that was so long it reached her ankles), and folded it onto her lap. She attempted an innocent look, but neither of her sisters were convinced. 

"C'mon Juliet, who was that boy?" Terra had to know. Her reddish brown hair, going down to her elbows, was about the same color as Zelda's face. "It wasn't Marth, we could tell that."

"Were you two spying on me?" Zelda asked, looking completely aghast.

"Well, we _did_ watch you come up the street with him," Vivien admitted. "But it was also a tad bit hard to ignore ya when you were yelling out the window to him, six feet away from us."

"Does Marth know about him?" Terra asked, looking half scandalized and half excited at the same time.

"Well…no, not really," Zelda said, smiling in spite of herself. "He's just a guy who took me to the movies."

"I thought _Marth_ was taking you to the movies," Vivien said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at her little sis.

The look almost scared Zelda. Combined with her pointed, widow-peaked face and scrubby-shoulder length black hair, Vivien's expression made her look quite like an evil hawk interrogating prey.

"He was going to," Zelda sighed. "But while we were getting tickets, I lost my wallet…by the time I had realized it, this guy handed it to me…anyhow, 'Pulp Fiction' was making me desire a jolly puke, so I stepped outside. This guy was standing there, and I was telling him the problem, and he invited me to come with him to 'Little Women.'"

"Whoa, he invited you to Little Women" Terra asked, looking amazed. "That's incredible! I wouldn't be able to get Will to take me to that if I paid him!"

"I know, right?" Zelda said, looking very dreamy again. "Anyhow, when it was over, he walked me home…"

"Yeah, we saw that part," Vivien said. "So what's his name?"

"I…I don't know," Zelda said sadly.

"You don't KNOW?!" her sisters repeated incredulously, raising their eyebrows in perfect unison.

"Hey, it's not like I didn't ask," Zelda said in her defense. "When I did, he just said…'a friend.'"

"How romantic!" Vivien sighed.

"We should give him a name," Terra teased, grinning at Zelda.

"BOB!" was Vivien's immediate response.

Terra and Zelda stared at her.

"Uh, no," the red-head snorted. "It needs to be something…mysterious…like—"

"Bob!"

"NO, Vivien…ooh, I know!" Terra squealed. "Let's call him Link!"

"Dude, you've watched Hairspray waaayy too many times," Vivien sighed.

"Ew!" Zelda half-cried, half-laughed. "Ter, what a stupid name! Who ever heard of somebody called LINK?"

"Well who's ever heard of someone called Zelda, Zelda?" Terra argued back. "You know, mom almost named you Farrah."

"_Farrah?!_" Zelda asked, shocked. "As in Farrah Fawcett?!"

"That's not the worst of it," Viv laughed. "She wanted my name to be Sara."

"Well what's so bad about that?"

"Nothing really, I guess," Vivien said with a shrug. "Just she had Terra, wanted my name to be Sara, wanted you to be Farrah, and _then_ her original plan was to name dear Deb Clara."

"So instead of Terra, Viv, Deborah, Zelda," the blonde started, "it would've been Terra, Sara, Clara, Farrah?!"

"Yeah."

"That's awful!" Zelda laughed, making a face.

"True," Vivien agreed. "I think she'd been inspired by Mick, Rick, Dick, and Nick next door. Fortunately for us, our respective fathers talked her out of it."

"But wait," Zelda said. "How could she have planned what to name all of us if we were all born so far apart? I mean, it's not like she would have known she was going to have so many girls…"

"Are you kidding?" Terra snorted. "If any woman could be in charge of the sex of her children, it would be mom."

The three of them laughed, and then the doorbell rang. "Speak of the devil, that'll be Clara—I mean Deb," Vivien said, jumping off her bed and rushing to the room's door.

"Good heavens, is she here, too?" Zelda asked.

"Of course!" came the reply as the person who said it sprinted down the stairs. "Jack wanted to come, too, but you know—busy."

"Zel…" Terra said, once Vivien was out of earshot.

"What?" She realized Terra's green eyes rested not on hers, but rather on the jacket Zelda had subconsciously been hugging fondly.

"You really liked that boy, didn't you?"

The tips of Zelda's ears burned and she looked resignedly at the floor.

"Honey…" Terra got up and say right by Zelda's side. "You can level with me."

Sometimes Zelda felt strange—in that she trusted her half-sister more than her full sister…not to mention that while Zelda and Vivien were only three years apart in terms of age, Terra was older than her by six. 

"I…I…" Zelda wasn't sure about why she was so terrified. She looked up and saw Terra's kind face smiling at her.

"Zelda, Zelda, Zelda," Terra sighed, putting an arm around her. "We all have the right to be a little unfaithful—in our minds—sometimes."

This only made Zelda feel worse, because just last year, Terra had been divorced from a man whose eyes had wandered. But she knew if she didn't talk soon, Vivien would be back with Deb. It was now or never.

"I think…one of the best things was that he didn't kn-know I was…we're, y'know, so…"

"Filthy rich?" Terra provided, smirking.

"Yeah," Zelda laughed thickly. "But also, he was…sweet, and considerate, and polite…everything I wanted a guy to be…"

"Was he cute?"

"Yeah," Zelda giggled, turning pink again. "In a way that would've made mom die from shock."

"Ha, ha, I see…" Terra cleared her throat, and didn't say anything for a moment.

"ZELDA'S in there?" a voice suddenly asked from the hallway.

"Shush, Deb, quiet!" Vivien hissed loudly. "I'm sure she and Terra are having their little heart-to-heart right now."

Terra opened her mouth to call out to them, but Zelda grabbed her arm and put a hand over her lips. She looked terrified, and Terra looked alarmed.

"I'm not done yet," Zelda whispered, shaking and moving her hand away from her sister's mouth. She realized Terra's eyes had moved to the engagement ring on Zelda's finger; the ring Link had somehow failed to notice, perhaps because he did not want to see it there. 

"Zelda," Terra said very softly. "Why are you marrying Marth?"

"Because…I want to," Zelda lied automatically, her lower lip trembling.

Terra chose a new tactic. "What is it you want from him, Zel?"

"I want … I want love," Zelda whimpered, as if this was something to be ashamed of. "And kindness, a-and respect…"

"Then losing him doesn't matter," Terra said patiently. "It is _you_ who will be f—"

"Oh man," Zelda interrupted. "You're quoting The Joy Luck Club a_gain_, sis." She gave a weak laugh, and Terra smiled briefly. Then suddenly, Zelda burst into tears.

"Gott! What the—Zelda?!"

"I d-don't want to marry him!" Zelda sobbed, rocking herself back and forth. "B-but I have to!"

"Zelda, why? Is he what, forcing you to?"

"No, no, I'm forcing HIM!"

Comprehension suddenly dawned on Terra's face. "Zel…?"

"Ter, I _had_ to, I have to, to save face!"

"No, Zelda, honey…"

"You don't want to hear it, I know!" Zelda cried, loud enough so that the girls outside the room could hear her. "You're scared of hearing it, that you're little sister's gone and done it, but I'm more afraid than you! I'm going to have a baby!"

Meanwhile. &-

Link was walking home with a spring in his step, hands in his pockets, blissfully ignorant of the turmoil Zelda was going through at the moment. A part of him regretted not having told Zelda his name, but the other part of him knew it had been right: if Zelda had known his name, it only would've been that much harder to leave her, knowing they'd never see each other again.

_I'll never forget you_.

When he opened the front door, Link was greeted by his father, who looked rather like an angry bull. He met the man in a very uncharacteristically cheerful manner: "Father! Why, how really _corking_ to see you!"

"WHERE DO YOU GET OFF COMING IN HERE AT HIS HOUR?!" Nick erupted. "_SKIPPING_, NO LESS?!"

Link glanced briefly at his mother, as if to say, "Didn't you tell him where I was?" Then he turned to his father and, mocking anger, shouted, "Have some pity, dad! BETH _DIED!_" And, pretending to sob dramatically, Link raced up the stairs loudly and into his room.

His parents stared at the spot he'd been standing at a second ago. "Who is BETH?!" Nick cried, looking incredulously at Impa.

_Did he actually go see __Little Women_ Impa asked herself, looking absolutely dumbfounded at the very idea. 

Link was sitting on his bed, pondering Zelda's nickname. He wished he'd gotten to question 32. His curiosity got the better of him—Link tried to decide which of his classmates would be able to remember the question best. _Eliza_—no competition.

Eliza was the kid you went to after a test or quiz to ask what she got on such-and-such a question, because she could always remember what it was; she wasn't the type who would have to say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot which one that was! Ask someone else." So, for the first time in his life, Link got his mother's copy of the school directory and called the Schreiber household.

Once, twice, three times it rang. Link was just thinking Eliza was probably still out anyway, when somebody answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Er—hi," Link said, caught slightly off guard. "Is uh, Eliza there?"

"This is she, who's calling?"

He was slightly hurt but not very surprised that she hadn't recognized his voice. "Uh, this is Link. Vaughn. From school."

"Oh, hi!" Eliza said, sounding a little confused but happy nonetheless. "What's up?" She gasped. "Is this about that gorgeous blonde I saw you with at the theatre??"

"Wh—you saw her? Us?"

"Of course I did, everyone did!" Eliza said. "And that other blue-haired kid who was with her before—geez, everybody's talking about you two!"

"What?"

"Yeah, Sarah Swalne is over here now, and she says she and Brian saw you two in _Little Women!_"

"Making out!" came a distant female voice. "I swear, they were making out!"

Link blushed at this insinuation, though somewhat pleased people had mistakenly assumed he and Zelda were together. "Eliza, Eliza, this isn't what I wanted to talk to you about," he eventually said.

"Okay, so what is it?"

"Well, y'know that test we took today?"

"Gee, no, I have nooo idea what you're talking about."

He chuckled and said, "D'you remember what question 32 was?"

"Uh, yeah," Eliza said slowly. "Hold on…oh yeah, it was, 'If you were going to run for President of the USA, who would be your vice? Madonna, Hulk Hogan, or Ronald Reagan, and why?' Pretty weird question, if you ask me."

"No kidding," Link muttered. Why on Earth would Marth nickname Zelda something like that? Madonna?

"Oh wait," Eliza said. "That was _forty_-two…32 was something to do with sex…"

"Sex?" Link repeated, his heart plummeting down into his small intestines. 

"Yeah," Eliza said, sounding vague. "Like if you believed in doing it before getting married, or something."

"Oh…"

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason…" And then he hung up. So Zelda was with that creep…and the two of them had done it…

That night, both Link and Zelda cried themselves to sleep. 

**&-**

**A/N**: Aw, what a pathetic ending. This story is about two and a half years old, and I like to think that my writing may have somewhat matured since then (but I have no idea). I realize that Link and Zelda may seem a little stereotypical and immature when it comes to handling authority, but that's the point. They're teens. Well, if anyone out there is at all interested in this story, I'd love to hear it in a review. If someone wants a second chapter, prepare to be shot six years into the future. (oh and also, I realize that this chapter is extremely long—none of the others will be as much. It's because I decided I wanted to include the whole prelude as one chapter, not splice it into two). 


	2. A guy for a nanny?

APPROXIAMATELY SIX YEARS LATER (2000)

A/N: As I mentioned earlier, that first chapter was really more of a flashback to start us off. Think of it as the first chapter in Harry Potter. Because now it's time for the second installment, which surges ahead **six years **into the future—which means this story takes place in the year 2000, and I have no idea why I planned it that way.

So anyway, **six years later…**

Los Angeles, California.

"_Dear Diary,_

_Today is Wednesday, July 12, 2000. This means tomorrow is Thursday (July 13, 2000), which is the day mom promised to take me to the zoo. I'm so excited!! My birthday is only four months away! Mom says Aunt Terra and Uncle Nate are coming for my birthday. All the way from New York! It's gonna be so cool, 'cause Aunt Terra makes the best cakes in the WORLD! _

_I kind of wish mom was home more often, diary. I know she's at work, but why does she have to be there all the time? Last year, she was gone even on my birthday. But she did get a friend for me—a Doberman we named Trent. He's really cool._

_Anyway, diary, I guess I'll stop for now. Katie's hand is probably getting tired. Love from, Megan._

Pause.

_Megan Katryn Cleverly_

"My, you certainly enjoy writing in your diary, don't you, my dear?" a middle-aged woman asked, putting the cap on a pink pen and shutting the diary. She shook her hand, hoping to get the cramp out of her wrist. Indeed it was the fourth diary Megan Katryn Cleverly had been through in three weeks.

"Yes, yes," young Megan said vaguely. She disliked dictating her diary entries to her nanny, Katie, as well—but it was one of the best ways she could think of to annoy the woman (also, it ensured that all the words were spelled correctly).

"So what would her majesty like to do now?" Katie grumbled.

"Let's go fly a kite!"

"Megan, for the last time, you don't own a kite!" Katie groaned.

"So we'll make one!" Megan said, smiling brightly. "Don't forget, we're not cave people, we have technology! This is the 14th century!"

"Why, Megan. WHY do you _always_ say that?!" Katie cried, at the end of her rope. "How many times have I told you? This is _not_ the 14th century, it is the 21st!"

Megan shrugged. "Whatever. Let's go swimming."

"You shall go swimming, little Miss Cleverly, whilst _I _sit by and watch."

The young girl shrugged again. "Whatever."

A few minutes later, as they were trooping outside, Megan asked, "Katie, what time is my mom coming home today?"

"Great balls of fire! How am _I _to know, child?! That mother of yours can be about as unpredictable as Roseanne Barr! Last night she didn't get back until two!"

"In the morning?"

"Of course in the morning," Katie sighed. "You'd have seen her if she'd come home at two in the afternoon!"

"Oh yeah…"

So then, just as Katie was settling into her pool chair with a large smoothie in hand, Megan cannon-balled into the pool. The small girl sent a curiously large tidal wave of chlorine water onto her nanny, who just happened to be wearing white and had recently finished straightening her hair.

"THIS IS THE LAST STRAW!!" she bellowed, soaking wet, and throwing her drink into the air.

"No, it isn't," Megan said, watching the smoothie go flying into their neighbor's yard. "We just bought those bendy straws yesterday, remember?"

Katie stared incredulously at her. Then, throwing her arms up in frustration she yelled, "KIDS!" And with that, she turned on her heel and marched straight back into the house, leaving a heavy trail of dripping water behind her.

Megan hastily climbed out of the pool and tied a blue towel around her waist. She quickly attempted to wring all the water out of her blonde-brown hair, and then followed Katie back into the house—er, mansion.

"I am leaving you and this place forever!" Katie announced, getting out an old suitcase from her closet.

"Oh, you're going?" Megan asked, trying hard not to smile.

"Exactly! I wouldn't stay here another minute if you paid me!" …And then Katie remembered: she _was_ being paid, and extremely well. She slowly opened her suitcase, staring at the wall before her in thought. Perhaps…she should just try it out a small while longer…the cash really was excellent…

But then, in a splendid show of horrid timing, a frog leapt out of the luggage and onto Katie's chest.

"…_AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!_"

"Are you sure you want to leave, Nana?" Megan asked, as the woman ran in circles around the room, positively shrieking about the amphibian on her bosom.

Then, in a display of praiseworthy nerve, Katie grabbed the frog and threw it out the window—much to Megan's astonishment. A loud splash told them it had landed in the swimming pool. Katie swiveled towards Megan, red and shaking. She pointed at her and said, "I will stay here until your mother returns, and then I shall be GONE! Forever! From both your lives! And may all the deities have mercy on your souls if I ever catch sight of you—_either_ of you—EVER AGAIN!" So, wheezing like a wounded buffalo, Katie sat down by the window and promptly fell right asleep.

A few moments later, the telephone rang. Megan leapt out of her chair, flew down the stairs, and threw herself into the kitchen. Clumsily she picked up the phone and said, "Hello, this is Megan, who's this?"

"Hello dear, this is Impa, from next door!" said the voice into the phone. "Is your mother there?"

"No Mrs. Vaughn, she's at work," Megan sad. "Can I take mess-ige?"

"Sure," Impa laughed. "Just ask your mother to call me when she can, all right?"

"You got it dude."

Impa laughed again. "Good-bye, dear."

"Bye." Megan hung up the phone and slid off the counter stool. She grabbed a large sheet of paper and a blue marker and wrote "Misses Vawn" in large, bold letters. She stuck the note onto the refrigerator and ran to the 'music' room.

There was no way to annoy Katie if she was asleep, so Megan headed towards her xylophone. Grinning devilishly, she banged on the instrument as loudly as she could. "OH say can you seeee by the dawn's early liiiiiiiiight—"

"MEGAN! KATRYN! CLEVERLY!"

Katie had entered the room, once again shaking with rage. She seemed to have sprouted several gray hairs over the last few minutes. The look on the nanny's face would have scared a lesser child, but a daughter of Zelda Cleverly would fear no one (at least… they would not be scared right away).

"Yes, Katie?" she asked in her sweetest little girl voice.

"Don't you 'yes, Katie' me! Stop…that…racket!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"You don't fool me," Katie hissed, stepping closer. "Not for one second, missy! I can see exactly what you are—a stuck-up, spoilt _brat!_ Why, if I was your mother, I wouldn't care about you either!"

This one struck a chord. "W-what do you mean?"

"Come off it, girl!" Katie scoffed with mirthless laughter. "You think your mother stays away because she _has_ to? She just doesn't want to stay at home with _you_ all day! Gott! If I was your mother, I'd…" She made a sickening violent motion with her hands, as if she couldn't find words harsh enough to verbalize her feelings.

Megan was trembling; she backed up fearfully as Katie advanced on her.

"Look at that!" the nanny said. "I've got a Cleverly scared! Can't think of nothing better than scaring a Cleverly!"

"How about when a Cleverly scares you?" came the very last voice Katie wanted to hear. She turned slowly on the spot and saw her formidable boss standing in the doorway. Zelda Cleverly walked briskly into the room, lips thin and eyes flashing dangerously. She dropped her bag with a loud crashing noise.

"Miss Lancaster," she said coldly. "I would kindly thank you to pack your things and leave my house—_right now_." Her voice was perilously quiet as she fixed her eyes, cold as two blocks of ice, on her (soon to be) ex-employee.

For once, Katie would've liked to retort smartly. She knew she was leaving anyway, but just once she wished she could give her boss a taste of her own medicine and snap back with something clever. Unfortunately for Katie, though, she was not the adjective Zelda's last name suggested, and howled this:

"Fine! Fine, then! I was leaving today anyhow, just ask that snotty little brat!"

Zelda turned slightly and Megan nodded. "Be that as it may, you've got no right to go about calling my daughter things like that."

"I've more a right than you do!" Katie dared screech. "Who's been the one staying with her at home for the past _five months?!_ Who's she been dictating her diary to? Who's been taking her to school and bringing her home?? ME, that's who! Katie Elinor Lancaster! I know your daughter better than you do, _Miss Cleverly!_"

"How dare you insinuate something like that!" Zelda said through her teeth, clenching her fists because she had nothing else to do with her hands. She stalked towards Katie, heading her for the front door.

"I've just realized what your problem is," Katie said. "You are nothing but _cold_. There's not a single warm thing about you—how do you ever expect to find love?" She snorted a laugh. "No wonder that girl's father doesn't come around here—"

That's where she should've known to stop, but Katie didn't realize she'd gone too far until she felt Zelda slap her hard across the cheek.

"OUT!" Zelda shouted, thrusting the front door open. "GET OUT RIGHT THIS INSTANT! You'll be lucky if you ever get your luggage back, you ungrateful—"

"Ungrateful?! Where do _you_ get off calling people un—"

"Don't you _ever_ interrupt me, Katie Lancaster—I want you off this yard NOW!"

Looking daggers at the house, Katie turned and walked off down the pathway. The color drained from her face when she heard Zelda whistle shortly. The sound of four strong, padded feet was coming from Katie's right. Trent, the family Doberman, was no thundering towards her—teeth bared and looking about as safe as a charging rhino. Katie screamed and ran the rest of the way off the lawn, jumping the picket fence in front without much grace. Trent, who could have easily jumped the fence as well, stayed behind on Zelda's command.

"Yeah, you better run!" she yelled after Katie, over her dog's loud barks. "Good boy, Trent, c'mere…"

The Doberman happily trotted back towards Zelda and she scratched him adoringly behind the ears. It wasn't until he ducked under and went to cuddle Megan that Zelda remembered her daughter was there.

"Oh Megan," she sighed. "I wish you wouldn't do that."

"Do what?" the child asked, quickly lifting her hand off Trent's head.

"Terrorize all your nannies! Dear, I can't leave you alone all day and I have to be at work, I can't…can't…"

"Mom, why don't you love me?" Megan blurted out, her hazel eyes threatening to fill with tears.

"Oh no, Megan!" Zelda cried. She sank to her knees and hugged the girl very close to her. "I love you, of course I do! Whoever told you otherwise?"

"K-Katie did," Megan sobbed.

"Don't dwell on anything Katie ever said to you," Zelda whispered. "She's nothing but a b…" She caught herself just in time.

"A what?" Megan prompted her.

"A, um…" Zelda glanced at the dog. "Ask Trent."

Megan gave the Doberman a confused look, then followed her mother back into the house. "Why are you home so early, anyway?"

"You know the Topham case I was working on? Well, Mr. Topham decided to go and die unexpectedly in the night, so now we have to approach everything in an entirely different way." Zelda sighed loudly. "Dragmire was so mad; he just sent us all home early for today… sorry, it's difficult to explain. But I'll go back tomorrow."

"No, mommy, no," Megan begged. "Can't you stay home? Besides, Katie isn't here anymore to look after me!"

"Ah no, you're right…how'd you like to stay with the Vaughns until I can find a new nanny, huh?"

"Mom, they're _old_," Megan said, as if this was blatantly obvious.

"So? Impa's very nice."

"She called, by the way," Megan said, seeing the note she'd written earlier.

"Mmm, thanks," Zelda said, picking up the phone. "Man, can you believe I still don't have her number memorized?" Rifling through a lot of drawers, Zelda asked distractedly, "Any idea what Katie was going to make you for dinner tonight?"

"No."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to make something up, then."

"Mom," Megan said slowly, "you can't cook."

Zelda stopped searching to stare at her. "Excuse me, but what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Remember the time you burned _water_?"

"Megan, for the last time, it wasn't the water, it was that cheap, flimsy pan—oh, here it is." Zelda dialed Impa's number as Megan mouthed "water!" and raced out of the room, laughing.

"Hello?"

"Hi Impa, its Zelda. Megan said that you—"

"Oh _Zelda_, hello!" Impa cried ecstatically. "How ARE you?"

Groaning, Zelda sank into a kitchen chair. "Awful."

"Dear me, what's wrong?"

"I lost my temper and subsequently my nanny! And I _have_ to be in the office tomorrow; but I can't leave Megan home alone!"

"You can leave her with me until you find a nanny," Impa said.

"Oh, you're so kind," Zelda sighed with relief. "Thanks a lot, I'll get a nanny as soon as I possibly can."

Suddenly, an idea entered Impa's mind. "Zelda, have you ever taken into consideration hiring a man?"

"A man?" Zelda repeated. "Are you kidding? You can't trust the male species any further than you can kick 'em."

Impa clicked her tongue. "Oh my dear, you can't go on judging them _all_ like that. My son is absolutely wonderful, especially with kids!"

"Um, Impa…are you suggesting that I hire your son?"

"Zelda, he's young—"

"How young?"

"He's your age! He's looking for a job, and he'll be visiting tonight!"

"Really?"

"Yes; in fact, that's why I called you in the first place. Nick and I are throwing a little party, and I wanted to know if you could come!"

"A party?" Zelda asked blankly. "O-oh! It's your anniversary, isn't it?"

"Yep!"

"Oh, well happy anniversary, Impa!" Zelda said ruefully. "And you're having it tonight, you said?"

"Yes—and I want no gifts or anything like that. Seeing you and Megan will be quite enough." Impa chuckled. "I've been trying to reach you all week, but the line's always been busy."

"Er, right, sorry. So you'll introduce me to your son, then?"

"Yes, yes," Impa assured her. "I just know Megan will adore him, he's such a sweet-heart, really!"

"Um, all right, I guess I can give him a shot. So what time do you want to have us there by, Impa?"

"Oh, an hour in change."

"Whoa, okay. See you then, uh, then."

"Bye."

"Bye." Zelda hung up the phone, then walked towards the living room, where Megan was playing the national anthem on her xylophone again.

"—but the flag was still theeeeere!"

"Megan, I have a question," Zelda sighed sitting down in a Lay-Z-boy.

"What is it, mom?"

"How would you feel about having a guy for a nanny?"

Megan stared at her. "A _guy?_ For a _nanny?_"

"You could call him a nanno if you thought it'd sound more masculine," Zelda told her, stifling a yawn. "He's Mrs. Vaughn's son, and she says that he loves kids."

"Katie said that, too," Megan reminded her mother.

"Look, we're going over to the Vaughns' tonight, and then you and I can both meet him, okay? We can decide there."

"Hmm…okay!" Megan agreed. "Mom, do you have time to read to me?"

"Sorry, no," Zelda replied, standing up quickly. "I want to take a bath and review some briefs before we go. Be ready in an hour."

"Oh…kay." And so, for the next sixty minutes, Megan banged on her xylophone and struggled to get past the first page of _Alexander and the Horrible, Terrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day_.

So that night:

"Ah, Zelda my dear, so glad you could come!" Impa welcomed them. "Come in, please, come in!"

"Happy anniversary, Impa," Zelda said, guiding Megan over the threshold.

"Oh, thank you, dear," Impa said modestly. She bent down slightly and said, "Well, if it isn't Megan Cleverly—if you don't grow just prettier every time I see you! How are you, sweetheart?"

"Good," Megan said, shrugging. "Is Leo here?"

"My goodness honey, he isn't," Impa said sympathetically. "But there's a splendid young fellow your age in the backyard named Mido. Why don't you—"

Zoom. Megan had already made a beeline for the back door.

"She has eyes like her aunt's," Impa remarked to Zelda, straightening.

"Hm, you mean Vivien? Yes, I suppose she does," Zelda said. "Viv's used to be a lot greener, though—then they sort of got bluer, you know…?"

Meanwhile, outside:

"Dude, I still can't believe you live here."

"Why's it so hard to believe, Link?"

"I dunno…I guess I just always assumed that Mido Bowman was the type who'd end up living in Wisconsin or Maine, or something…not surf city."

"Wisconsin?" Mido repeated in shock as Link laughed. "Geez, you're weird—hey, kiddo, watch it!"

"Sorry dad," Mido (Jr.—I know, hokey) apologized, stepping hastily away from a large pool of mud.

"So anyway, what're you doing out here, Link?" Mido asked. "Last I heard, you were still living in New York."

"I was," Link said. "In the same complex as Raissa Betsky, actually." He paused. "Strangely enough, I think she followed me here, ha, ha."

"You mean that cute little Brazilian girl?"

"The very same."

Mido whistled. "I think she liked you." Pause. "I think a lot of girls liked you; you seeing anyone now?"

"If I was, it wouldn't be very tactful of me to move to the other freaking side of the country now, would it?" Link said dryly. "Anyhow, I'm out here looking for a job."

"You moved to California to look for a job?" Mido asked, raising his eyebrows. "What do we have that New York doesn't, Disneyland?"

Looking slightly perturbed, Link glanced around to make sure nobody was listening in. "All right, I'll tell you the truth…my old man's getting sort of… difficult to be around, according to my mom. Dunno why it took her so long to figure out; I've thought so since I was two. Anyway, she hinted that she'd feel safer if I was around…"

"Well how nice of you," Mido said, rolling up his right sleeve. "But let's see if you've got the stuff to keep her safe. Go on, Vaughn, arm wrestle!"

"To challenge me is to admit defeat before you have begun," Link said, smirking. Indeed it seemed as though the moment their hands had made contact, Mido's had already hit the table.

He swore and rubbed his fingers. "Man, you still haven't lost that vise grip!"

"Nope!...say, who's that little blonde girl playing with your kid over there?" Link asked with interest.

Mido turned and squinted. "I _think_ she's—"

"She's mine," a voice from behind Link answered. He turned around to find himself looking up at none other than…he had no idea who, but she was an incredibly beautiful person at that.

"Oh hi, Zelda," Mido said.

"Hello," Zelda said back, but was looking rather at Link (to his slight surprise) instead of Mido. "Are you Nick and Impa's son?"

"Yeah," he answered, still a little baffled that she was talking to him. He then got to his feet and offered his hand. "Link Vaughn."

Zelda shook his hand, gazing briefly at his attire: a faded leather jacket and faded jeans. "I hear you're looking for a job near your parents?"

"Oh yeah," Link said.

"Mido, would you mind giving us a few minutes?" Zelda asked.

"Sure," Mido obliged, getting quickly out of his chair. "I'll go keep an eye on the Rugrats, huh?"

Not cracking even the tiniest smile, the icy blonde took Mido's seat. "Zelda Cleverly, attorney at law."

"Um…" He wondered what on Earth a lawyer could want with him.

"That's my daughter over there," Zelda said, nodding towards Megan.

"You mean the one attacking Mido with a stick?" Link asked pointedly.

"Yes, that's the one," Zelda said, dismissing this act of light violence as if it was unimportant. "Anyway, I've got a problem and I was wondering if you could help me out." Zelda leaned forward in a very business-like manner and put her fingertips together. Link determinedly looked back at her face, not allowing his gaze to wander to her crossed legs, where a vast amount of skin was showing. "I work many hours of the day, and I usually leave a nanny home with my daughter. However, my last one has only just left us on account of, erm…family matters."

Realization seemed to dawn on Link's expression. "So…"

"Your mother tells me you're good with kids," Zelda continued. "And so I was wandering if you'd be interested in watching mine."

Link glanced back over at Megan. She was now laughing and playing leap frog with Mido's kid. Then he looked back at Zelda, who had been gazing intently at him.

"Say I take the job," Link said. "What would be the conditions?"

Zelda seemed to relax a little. "Well, you'd be living in my house, which is the one just over there." She turned and pointed to the mini-mansion behind them. "So you'd be very close to your parents. When Megan starts school in September, I'd need you to drop her off and pick her up…but seeing as how it's summer currently, Megan usually likes to go places such as the zoo, park, museums, and things like that. And you'd probably have to be the one to take her there. Can you cook?"

"Well, I'm no Emeril, but I guess yeah, I could cook."

"Great. I have a cleaning maid come in every Wednesday to, well, clean, and she used to have to leave meals for each week, because my last nanny couldn't cook." Zelda cleared her throat. "Megan—that's my daughter—requires a firm hand, to be honest. Don't take her too lightly. But she can also be positively sweet if you handle her in the correct fashion."

"Mom, mom, lookit this!" Megan cried from the opposite side of the yard. She got a running start, and then cart wheeled right into Mido. Link burst out laughing.

"Very good, Megan," Zelda called to her (still not smiling, Link noticed). "Just be sure to stop when he's still breathing." She turned back to Link. "Also, if I ever have a free night, I usually—er—leave Megan with your mother and take my… sitters out to dinner. Catch up on how things are going."

Leaning back in his chair, Link pondered this. The kid was probably nothing he couldn't handle, and was cute to boot. He had been very bored lately, sitting around at home doing _nothing_ all day. The best job offer he'd gotten so far was working at a butterfly pavilion, which he wasn't all that interested in. Being paid to take some kid to the zoo really didn't seem all that bad. Also, he thought, he wouldn't really mind going to dinner with Zelda now and then and have people get the wrong idea bout them…

"Okay," he finally said. "I already know the hours, what's the—"

"2600 a week," Zelda answered breathlessly. "And there's also a _very_ nice Christmas bonus, should you decide to stay during the time."

_Wow_. "So what does Megan's father do?" Link asked conversationally.

"We've been divorced for five and a half years," Zelda said. "I haven't seen him for at least two or three. I don't know what he's up to."

"Oh…sorry."

"Don't be."

_Awkward_…

"Are you interested in the job? I can give you a trial, if you want."

"You know what, I think I will take it," Link said. "I've been getting incredibly sucky job offers around here like you wouldn't believe. When do I start?"

"Is tomorrow too soon?"

He masked his surprise and said, "Oh, no, that's fine. No problem."

And for the first time that night, Zelda broke into a smile—a dazzling, beautiful, captivating smile that went splendidly with the sigh she issued. But then it was gone, almost as quickly as it had come. "That's excellent," she said. "Really, really just great." Slowly Zelda got to her feet and Link instinctively followed suit. "Shall I introduce her to you, then?"

"Probably a good idea," Link said with a nod.

Zelda strode down the backyard towards where her daughter was waving a worm at Midos Sr. and Jr.

"Megan," Zelda sighed. "Drop the worm and come over here. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Megan obediently put down the writhing insect and skipped over to her mother. She was wearing a pair of sand-colored corduroys and a green T-shirt that brought out the color of her eyes. She looked up at Link, as if waiting for him to say something.

"This is Link Vaughn," Zelda said. "Nick and Impa's son. He's going to be your new, er… guardian."

"What's your middle name?" Megan asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Zelda sighed with exasperation and gave Link a somewhat apologetic look. "She never trusts anyone without knowing their middle name first. Don't ask me why!"

"Oh. Um…" Link looked a little embarrassed. "My middle name is Wingfield."

"_Wing_field?" Megan repeated.

"Yeah."

"That's an interesting middle name," Zelda commented. "Slightly familiar, too."

"I know what you're thinking," Link said, putting his hands in his pockets. "It came from _The Glass Menagerie_, yeah. My mom played Amanda in it in her senior year and was rather…attached to it."

"Huh," was all Zelda had to say.

There was a moment of silence, and then Link said, "So Megan, do you want some help tackling Mido the older over there?"

Megan's face broke into a big smile. "Sure!"

Zelda watched as this man took off with her daughter, appearing to be headed towards Mido. Sighing, the young lawyer walked back into the Vaughn house.

"So did you find Link, my dear?" Impa asked excitedly.

"Oh yes, I did," Zelda said, nodding. "I've actually started him already."

"Why, that's wonderful!" Impa cried, clasping her hands together. "Thank you _so_ much, Zelda, it's so kind of you to do this for him!"

Somebody snorted behind them before she could reply. It was Nick. "My son's a bum," he said frankly. "He'll be back at our door mid-afternoon tomorrow, 'cause you'll already have fired him!"

"Nick!" Impa said, looking mortified.

Zelda eyed the drink in Nick's hand and one whiff of his breath was enough explanation as to why he was talking in this manner.

"It's true!" Nick insisted in his slightly drunken state. "Just ask Rice-a—she'll tell you, all right!"

"What's Raissa told you?" Impa queried, folding her arms and frowning.

"She told me nothin' yet, but they went to school together, didn't they? I bet she's got loads of dirt on him! And just look—she's a 'cleaning lady' and's already higher up on the social ladder than our son!"

"Nick, I want you to go upstairs," Impa said in a dangerous whisper. "You're being simply disgraceful."

Zelda had heard this conversation before, somewhere else…she knew what Nick was going to say next.

"You think I give a hang about what you want?" he asked, looking baffled. "Hey, someone's at the door; I'll go attend to them—you stay here with this piece of jail bait."

Impa's mouth dropped open in horror as Nick shuffled off. "Zelda, I am _so_ sorry about that—"

She held up a hand to stop the old woman. "It's okay, Mrs. Vaughn, really it is. I understand. I do."

The awkwardness was broken when Mido approached them, breathing loudly.

"_My Heavens!_" Impa gasped. "What on Earth happened to you, my dear boy?!"

"Your son," Mido chuckled. "Zelda, could I have a word?"

"Oh sure…see you 'round, Impa."

Mido led Zelda over to a bay window. "You hired him on the spot?" he asked, wasting no time in getting to the point.

Zelda sighed. "I'm just… I just need to see how he is with my daughter," she said. "And I really need a sitter for tomorrow, anyway. It's kind of a favor for Impa, as well."

"You could just leave Melanie with _me_, you know."

"Yes, well, I hate to be frank, Mido, but…_Megan_ doesn't seem to like you very much. Besides, she has a tendency to pick on her nannies and I think that Lyle might be able to soften her up a little bit—I mean, she just might be a little more respectful of a _guy_ like him."

"What makes you say _Link_ is more intimidating than me?" Mido asked. Zelda's reply was a very cynical expression. "Okay, okay, don't answer that…but did you even ask for a résumé?"

"No, I don't have the time!" Zelda said, almost laughing in disbelief. "Look, Mido, it's just twenty-four hour baby-sitting. He doesn't have to be a rocket scientist or a neurosurgeon! He just has to be good with kids."

Mido knew he couldn't argue with that. "Okay…but we went to high school together, you know, and Link…"

He went on to talk about who Link hung out with, the clothes he wore, his womanizing ways, his attitudes towards teachers…but Zelda wasn't listening. She was watching Link run around the backyard with Megan on his back; she was laughing like she'd never laughed before.

"…and then this one time, I heard he spat in the principal's f—"

"Mido," Zelda eventually interrupted, sounding weary. "It's very nice of you to be telling me all this, but uh…what's your point?"

"My point," he said, clearing his throat, "is that I don't think he can be trusted in a house as nice as yours and _you_ don't even know his name."

"It's Link, okay?! I remember now. Don't be a hypocrite—you're the one who wants me to leave my daughter with you, and you don't recall HER name!"

"I do too! It's…Molly!"

"No."

"Deb?"

"That's my sister."

"Terra."

"Another sister. You were closer the first time."

He thought back to what his first guess had been. "Dolly? Margot? Mellie? Millie? Manny? Mary? Montesquie?"

Rolling her eyes, Zelda started to walk away, Mido still yelling random names after her: "Marina! Meryl! Becky! Darlene! Rumpelstiltskin!"

"Try Malon," said a voice near Zelda.

The blonde turned and gasped in surprise. "Malon!"

"That's what the call me," the red-head laughed, giving her friend a hug. "Hey, girl! Long time, no see."

"True, true. What brings you here?"

Malon shrugged. "I decided I needed a break. A vacation, sort of."

"So how long have you been here?"

"Oh, about a week or two," Malon replied.

"And you haven't come to see me 'til now?" Zelda asked, sounding incredulous but not angry. "Why, where are you staying?"

"With my grandparents, until I can secure a job," Malon sighed. "I'm thinking of doing something part-time while I'm here; might as well try to scrape some extra cash before heading home. Goddesses, you've never been stuck with such boring people!—but then, if it wasn't for my grandmother's knitting club, I wouldn't have met Impa, and then I wouldn't be here. Oh man, you wouldn't believe what Impa and my grandma made me do last night."

"What?"

"Watch Driving Miss Daisy with them. _Four_._ Times_."

"In a row?"

"In a row. It's actually not that bad a movie, but four freakin' times! Four times!"

"I'm sorry, Malon."

"Just wait 'til you hear about tomorrow. A marathon of 'The Waltons.'"

"Oh, Din!" Zelda cried, almost laughing. She snapped her fingers. "I've got an idea! You can stay with me! I've got plenty of room in my house!"

"You…you do?" Malon asked.

"Yeah! Only…only I'm not really home all that much…work, y'know, but you'd still be SO welcome there!"

"Wow, Zelda, that's so nice!" Malon gushed. "Gosh, how can I thank you?!"

"Really, Mal, it's no big deal."

"I'll be gone as soon as I get a job, I swear!" Malon assured her. "Do you know anywhere looking to hire?"

Zelda's face lit up briefly, then she suddenly looked very sad. "I had a position open but it got filled like, less than five minutes ago!"

"You're joking!" Malon gasped, clutching her head in shock.

"Oh Mal, I'm so sorry!" Zelda whimpered. "Had I known you were here…"

"What was the job, anyway?" Malon asked, hoping she wouldn't be too sorry.

"Sitting my daughter," Zelda responded. "It requires that you be at my house 24/7, and many, you'd have been perfect!"

"No, it's okay, actually," Malon said thoughtfully. "I mean, I'm not even going to be here all that long, and besides that I'm _awful_ with kids by myself. I feel weird around them, really. I don't think I'd have been very good."

"Yes, Megan can be…a bit rowdy," Zelda said. She nodded at the window. "She's the blonde one with the green shirt."

"Oh, she's adorable!" Malon squeaked. "I mean, any kid of yours and… of yours would have to be, right?"

Zelda snorted. "You flatter me."

"No, seriously!" Malon insisted. "Remember when you were a freshman, _five_ guys asked you to the Senior prom??"

"One for every last name I ever had," Zelda muttered.

Malon went on, apparently not having heard the comment. "Your sister Vivien won the tri-county beauty contest four years in a row, and the only time she ever lost was the one year Terra did it!"

A faint, sad, smile found its way onto Zelda's lips. She remembered all the bouquets Vivien had ever won for being so beautiful. All the money, the ribbons, and the gorgeous flowers. Every time she won, people had told Vivien she should be a model or an actress. But Viv held firmly to her beliefs (her number one being that she said she'd probably never even make the cut for a soap opera). Vivien's goal was to become a doctor, and she went through medical school and was now the loveliest, top pediatrician in the state of Arkansas. ….

_"You should enter, Zelda," Vivien advised, putting her newly won roses in a black vase. "I'm sure you could beat me!"_

_"No, I don't think so," Zelda, a shy fourteen, replied. "I'm not pretty."_

_"Not pretty?" Vivien repeated, looking scandalized. "Honey, of course you are! Just yesterday, I heard Aaron say that Sara Hamilton's sister Emily heard that boy—that boy you like—liiiikes yooouu!" _

_"Marth Mulloy?" Zelda asked, turning pink with excitement and biting her lip. "Really? H-he said that?"_

Zelda touched her head and came back to the present. For a moment she couldn't even think of what they'd been talking about, but then Malon said, "Seriously, Zel, she's really cute." The expression on her face changed. "Ooh…but not quite as cute as the guy carrying her around. Who IS that?"

"That's my new nanny," Zelda answered stoically, not looking.

Malon laughed. Really loud. "You _must_ be kidding me."

"I jest you not," Zelda said, holding up her hands resignedly. "He's Impa's son and I've only just hired him."

"What a catch!" Malon breathed. "He's gorgeous!"

"C'mon, Malon," Zelda snorted.

"You should've hired a male nanny a long time ago," Malon informed her. "Level with me. Did you hire him in hopes of hooking up with him later on?"

"What—no!" Zelda said honestly. "I told you, it's because he's Impa's son and he seems like a nice guy. There, look how good he is with Megan."

Malon gave her friend a sideways glance. "Do you ever…"

"No," Zelda whispered. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm not interested in finding a man right now. I haven't the time. Besides, who'd want someone like me?"

"Don't talk about yourself that way," Malon said. "You just leave the guy to me, okay? What's his name, anyhow?"

Zelda smirked. "Link Wingfield Vaughn."

**A/N: **Wow, that was…not very good. Ha, ha, I love how emo this story is. Thanks for reading! (and oh…yeah, I know Link's parents have real names but I decided to just use Impa for my story's sake. (oh, and **Darkide**, gotta love Cary Grant…)


	3. Like Sands in an Hourglass

Later That Evening…

Later That Evening…

"And this is your room, Mr. Vaughn," Zelda said, opening a white-washed door.

The walls were a pale, pink color, with flowered borders. Towards the back left corner was an extravagant canopy bed, complete with light red covers and frilly pillows. A fragrance of roses filled the air.

Zelda noted Link's expression of polite bewilderment. "Er…you might want to do a little re-decorating, sorry. My last nanny was, well, a woman, as were all the ones before her. They never seemed to have a problem with it, but considering you're a…a…" She trailed off awkwardly.

"Right," Link said, nodding.

"Anyway, as this was very short notice, I didn't have time to change the bedding," Zelda went on. "There are extra sheets, pillows, and a comforter in the bathroom just down the hall I showed you earlier; the closet on the left. You can just put all these in their place. Also, if the pink doesn't suit you, please feel free to paint over it."

"Okay," Link said. "Thank you, Ms…it's Cleverly, right?"

"Yes."

"And not…not 'Mrs.…?"

"No, not Mrs." She cleared her throat. "My friend Malon will be staying with us a few days; she's in the room opposite yours. Any questions while I'm away at work and you should ask her. She'd probably be able to answer."

"All right."

There was a silence. Link fingered his bag. Clearing her throat again, Zelda said, "Well Mr. Vaughn, I think I'll retire for the night. Any questions?"

"No questions, just a request."

If Zelda was at all taken aback by this, she masked it well. "And what would that be, Mr. Vaughn?"

"That," Link said, grinning rather adorably. "Please, just call me Link. No need to be formal with the hired help."

"Oh," Zelda said, blushing a little. "Right…well, w-whatever makes you comfortable. Good night, Link."

"Good night, Ms. Cleverly."

Zelda backed out of the room and shut it out of habit. She jumped when out of no where, her red-headed friend appeared at her elbow.

"You're blushing!" Malon hissed in an accusatory tone.

"I am not!" Zelda argued, her hand over her chest because Malon had nearly startled her into a heart attack. "And quiet! Do you want him to hear you?"

"Why are you blushing? Was his shirt off? Did he hit on you?" She gasped. "Oh my Goddesses, did you—"

"Malon!" Zelda said through her teeth. "You are such a perv! I have to get up at 5:00 tomorrow, and I need to sleep!"

"5:00, my butt! You told me you wake up at 6:30 to get to work on time!"

"Tomorrow's Friday—I have to be somewhere early."

"Where do you have to be at five in the morning?!"

"The—the—it's not your business, Malon!" Turning and heading down the stairs, Zelda said, "Nothing you need to worry about, Mal."

"Whatever. See you tomorrow, Zel."

"You might, yeah." And, with no further ado, Zelda walked out of Malon's sight. She crossed the kitchen and the living room on her way to the stark white door and scaled the steps behind it.

As she undressed, Zelda evaluated the conversation she'd just had with Link. She shocked herself by realizing that for the first time in what felt like her _life_, she had stuttered. Stammered. A Cleverly never did such a thing—Zelda's mother had told her that it was a sign was of weakness or fear. Frowning, Zelda put up her hair and pondered this. Surely she wasn't afraid or scared of Link, why should she be? Did that mean he had made her feel weak? NO! Zelda quickly answered herself. A man making her weak would mean love, or a crush at the very least. Zelda knew she did not feel like that (she was pretty sure, anyway).

Eventually, Zelda managed to clear her thoughts of Link and instead concentrate on the mess she'd be facing at work the next day. And so it was with thoughts filled with old men who'd died at inconvenient times, greedy families, and lawsuits that Zelda went to sleep. But after lying awake in the dark for several long minutes, Zelda sat up, and then got out of bed.

She didn't need to turn on the light; she'd walked this pathway many times before in the dark. Silently, Zelda slid open her closet door, and moved her hand along all the clothes hanging there. She reached the very last coat between her fingers, and pulled it out of the closet.

The coat was very long, and black with red lining. She'd been given it six years earlier, and on particularly hard nights, it was her only comforter. Zelda went back to bed, spreading the jacket (worn from love) over her. It encompassed her small body, making her feel quite protected.

Almost right away, Zelda felt sleep coming. Holding the beloved coat tightly to her, Zelda wondered where its previous owner was now, completely unaware that he was the man sleeping in a room on the other side of her house.

At 5:30 The Next Morning…

Link woke with a start. His heart was beating fast, his fingers involuntarily clutching the sheets. After a moment, he calmed down. What had caused him to wake up so suddenly at—he glanced at the clock—half past five? He strained his ears for any sound that might have done it.

But alas, no noise came. Groaning softly, Link resignedly sat up. _What to do at 5:30 in the morning? _he mused inwardly. His eyes were too tired to read, and he didn't want to turn on a TV or radio for fear of disturbing someone else in the house. He could always try going back to sleep…not.

He rolled out of bed. The room smelled like a bad Lysol scent had exploded within it. Link walked over towards his bag. He pulled a pair of flannel pajama bottoms on over his boxers, and then put on a green hoodie. Next came the black shoes, and he was ready to go.

Go where?

Digby's Doughnuts, he ultimately decided. Link picked up the keys to his pick-up truck and went quietly out the (front) door. Giving the car clock a passing glance as he pulled out of the driveway, Link wondered if the doughnut place was even open. Well, that would be life, was the profound conclusion he came to.

So far, he was the only one on the street. Wait; there goes a jaguar.

Approximately seven minutes later, he arrived at Digby's Doughnuts. There was one forest green jeep in the back lot, and Link assumed it belonged to the person who was working inside the place.

He was right. It was to a small, mustachioed man that Link told his order for a Boston Crème and one jelly doughnut.

"Every day, God punishes me," the little man grumbled under his breath, entering the price into his cash register.

"Erm…pardon?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow, not sure if he was supposed to have heard the comment or not.

"Ever day, God punishes me!" the man shouted. He angrily threw Link's bag across the counter. "Every morning, I get up at 4:30, making eight dozen doughnuts, and with no help! NONE! I don't even LIKE doughnuts! And what are _you_ doing up at this Godforsaken hour?!"

Link shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

"Couldn't sleep!" the man cried indignantly, as if he was angry with Link's insomnia. "Couldn't sleep! _What_ I would give for just another minute of sleep!"

"But think about it," Link said, handing over his credit card. "If I hadn't gotten up and come here, you wouldn't have been able to vent all your anger off at me with your infuriated monologue." And he left he small man there to contemplate this as he exited the shop, smiling.

Now, where to go…there was only one place. Link backed out of the lot and headed down Telegraph. 5:52. The meager sun was still hiding behind the gray clouds, creating an atmosphere that was thoroughly monochromatic, almost to the point of being depressing. A couple more cars met him at the intersection; businessmen who appeared as though they had not yet had their morning coffee.

Link rolled down his window and could finally smell it: the salty ocean breeze which meant he was coming closer to his destination…He got Radio Head's "Talk Show Host" stuck in his head… Sand meeting the water. Salt waves. Clouds. Scintillating. It was an empty, early morning beach.

Wait, not completely empty. There was one person sitting there… on a beach chair, right at the spot where the water would crawl over her toes, then recede.

Frowning, Link slowly walked down the concrete pathway, eventually reaching the sand. Here he stopped, choosing to try and figure out if he knew the person. It was a she, he could tell—guys didn't have legs like that.

Indeed, she was wearing a pair of black shorts over what looked like a black bathing suit. On leg was raised bent slightly, her knee in the air. Link wondered if she was asleep, but couldn't tell for the black Audrey Hepburn-esque sunglasses she was wearing. What a beautiful profile it was, Link thought, transfixed. She moved—she was getting up. Following some odd, involuntary instinct, he moved behind a bathroom stall. The tall, willowy figure put on a white beach robe and was now walking slowly along the sand, just barely allowing the water to touch her feet.

And that, after spotting a silver Lexus in the lot, was when Link realized he was staring avidly at his new boss (which, I'm sure, is something you figured out long before now). Zelda pulled her robe tighter around her, and slid the sunglasses to the top of her golden hair. She was not smiling, she was not frowning.

She was just a single woman walking along the beach, exuding not the slightest emotion. Queen Christina.

Link shook his head and told himself his peeping Tom-ing had gone on long enough. He didn't want Zelda's electric blue eyes to see him and find out he'd left the house early on his first day of work (he justified himself by noting that if Zelda's friend was not also at the house—with Megan—he would not have left in the first place).

Biting into the Boston Crème, Link wondered why Zelda was at a beach so early in the morning. Maybe she'd had insomnia, too. Driving away, he felt as if the beach had never seemed so…sad. Even the couple times he'd gone at six a.m., it had still felt relaxing. Link decided it was something about Zelda. In retrospect she had a depressed aura about her, as if she was always contemplating stress. She was a beauty, in fact one of the most beautiful people Link had ever known, but it was a cold beauty. She was a very intriguing person and Link was burning to know more about her.

_I'll have to interrogate that friend of hers_, he thought.

Once he pulled back into the Cleverly driveway, Link stopped the motor and put his feet up over on the passenger seat. He pulled the jelly doughnut out of the bag and bit into it. Suddenly a dirty mental image entered his mind, and Link nearly gagged on the doughnut trying to get it out of his head. He quickly set out to think of something else, more innocent, and he landed on little Megan Cleverly.

And he stayed on that safe subject until a quarter to seven. Leaving his doughnut bag in the truck, Link walked back towards the house and entered it quietly.

He went into the living room and sat down on a long, beige couch. It was a little firm, but the large pillows on either side were big and squishy. What to do, what to do… Link didn't want to appear nosy, but he couldn't help noticing a large photo album someone had left out. As a person who greatly admired photography, he tentatively reached forward and picked it up off the glass table it lay on. Before opening it up, Link involuntarily looked around, as if nervous he'd get caught. Not that he was doing anything wrong…

First page.

A red-headed girl was getting what appeared to be a piggy-back ride from a boy who also had red hair—they both looked about sixteen. Beneath this photograph was one of the same girl, only this time she was standing outside of a Broadway theater next to a black-haired girl. The first had her mouth wide open in song, while the latter gave her an embarrassed sideways look. Then Link spotted the captions:

_Me and Roy outside Golf 'n' Stuff_. And, _Me and Viv outside 'Cats_._' Apparently, this is one 'Memory' Vivien will want to forget!_

He grinned and turned the page. There was a photo of two girls standing on a stage: the familiar red-head was at an electric keyboard, and she was accompanied by a blonde in front of a microphone.

_Me and Zelda at the ninth grade talent show, simply blowing everyone away with our rendition of __Everybody's Somebody's Fool_.

Link's eyes widened. Zelda? Could that be his boss? He wondered how many Zeldas there could possibly be in the world. Link brought the picture closer to his eyes and squinted. He wasn't positive if it was his new boss or not, because the picture hadn't been taken from very close.

Underneath this photo was one of the blonde and this time two red-heads. They were standing outside a coffee house. _Zelda, Terra, and me outside their dad's new coffee house. He took the picture_.

On the other side of the spread, the top photograph caused confusion: He could see one figure had been deliberately torn out of it; there was no typed caption, only "_Zelda's mother's wedding_," in neat, penciled handwriting. The person that had been ripped out was the one Zelda was hugging—all that was left of him now was an arm around her waist.

Yes, that was definitely a younger Zelda Cleverly. He could tell, even though she looked totally different because she was glowing with excitement and obvious beauty, a genuine toothy smile on her face.

Link flipped through the rest of the album, stopping now and then on a picture that caught his eye. One such photo was another of Zelda and the red-head. The latter was grinning and had her arms around the boy Link recognized from the first picture in the book. Zelda, however, was standing off to the side without an escort. She was smiling, but Link could tell it was only for the millisecond her picture was being taken—he knew once the photographer was done, she'd dropped the smile. It didn't reach her eyes like the last one had.

_Zel, me, and Roy at her mom's wedding_.

This had to be a second wedding, Link thought, mostly because Zelda's facial expressions were so radically different. Also, flipping back, he realized both Malon and Zelda had on different outfits; Roy appeared to be wearing the same tux.

"Well, good morning."

Link nearly dropped the album from surprise. He found himself staring at a very becoming, leggy red-head and, after about two awkward seconds, realized she was the girl who'd been in nearly all the photos. Rather uncomfortably, he set the album down and slowly stood up.

"Hi, my name's Link Vaughn," he said, extending a hand. "I'm Miss Cleverly's new…um…"

Malon smiled. It was so weird to hear someone call Zelda that. "Right, she told me about hiring you. My name's Malon Rancher, I'm an old high school pal of your boss, Mr. Vaughn."

"Rancher, huh?"

"Yeah, a lot of my ancestors actually had horse ranches—that's where we assume the name came from. The family practically wanted to disown my father when he moved out to the 'burbs to open a grocery."

"Wow. Um…sorry, I think this was your album I was kind of looking through. I don't want to come off as nosy or anything, I just like pictures."

"That's okay, s'no problem," Malon assured him, taking the album. "I just got this out to look at last night, but ended up being too tired." She flipped through it, laughing a couple times. "Did you look at all of these?"

"Oh, no," Link answered quickly. "Just about four or five."

"You want some dirt on your boss?" Malon asked, grinning wickedly.

"Uh, sure," Link said, smiling warily.

"Go on and sit down—don't worry, I won't show you any dull pictures of weird people you don't know… oh, this is Zel—Miss Cleverly's only sister, Vivien (Cleverly) Lee. She was—"

"Her name is Vivien Leigh?!" Link interrupted, shocked.

"Oh, not like that, though," Malon laughed. "It's spelled L-e-e. She married a Chinese guy a couple years back."

"Ah, right. Sorry, go ahead."

"Right. Anyway, she was probably about eighteen or nineteen in this, and now she's like this brilliant doctor in Arkansas."

Looking at this picture of Vivien, Link recalled what his sexist father had once said—"a pretty girl should be able to get by on her looks alone, and not have to become something brainy like a doctor or a dentist." Malon moved to turn the page, but Link gently put his finger down and stared at the picture, as if looking for something.

"They don't…look all that much alike," he commented quietly. "But they look as if they have the same nose…"

"That's what everyone says," Malon added. "The same mouth, too. Viv takes more after their mom, and Zelda their dad."

Link hadn't really noticed the mouths—their noses were both sharp, a little pointed, but thin, and were perfect examples, actually, of what Link thought the ideal nose looked like.

Malon turned the page, then laughed. "Oh, _Everybody's Somebody's Fool_! I don't suppose you know that song?"

"Afraid I don't. Is it eighties?"

"Sixties, actually," Malon smirked. "The Grand Madame Cleverly didn't let her kids listen to any contemporary music, because she thought it was 'evil'. She only allowed _her_ old music in the house, but of course, whenever Zelda was at someone's house she'd make them play all their CDs."

"I can see why," Link snorted. "That would suck."

"So when Zelda and I wanted to sing for the school talent show, we knew it had to be something old…and we picked that one."

For some reason, Link couldn't see his Debbie-Downer boss singing. "You guys will have to perform that one for me some time."

Grinning, Malon only said, "We'll see…oh, that's us outside a shop her step dad opened. Her sister Terra is the one next to me."

"Didn't you say Vivien was Zelda's only sister?" Link asked, furrowing his brow.

"Oh, yeah, sorry—Vivien is her only…_full_ sister. Terra, the one in the picture, had a different father from them. He died when Terra was about three or four, I think."

"Oh, wow," Link whispered.

"You know how volleyballs and tennis balls and stuff are made by a company called Wilson?" Malon asked, smiling slightly.

"Uh, yeah…?" Link said slowly, wondering where this was going.

"Well, that was Terra's last name—Wilson—and everyone called her by it, even when all her siblings were called by Cleverly. She was an amazing athlete—played just about every sport known to man."

"It's a fitting name."

Suddenly a little ringing noise went off. Malon jumped and took a cell phone out of her pocket. She flipped it open. "Hello? Oh, hi…could you hold on just a sec?" Malon put her hand over the speaker and said to Link, "I gotta take this—but don't look through the rest of that without me, huh?"

"No worries," Link replied with a grin.

Smiling, Malon said, "Thanks," then went back to her cell phone conversation. Link nodded and stood up. He didn't want Malon to feel like he was eavesdropping, so he moved by the kitchen into the grand entrance hall. He stood about ten feet in front of the front door, and there was one room on either side of him.

Link entered the door to his right. There was a large xylophone with black and silver alternating keys off to the side. Opposite this instrument was the grandest piano Link had ever laid his eyes upon. It was black as coal, shiny and sleek as a newly shined shoe. He moved around it and felt the bench. It was pure velvet.

"Wow."

He felt a sudden urge to touch the piano, play just one short song. But almost immediately after this thought came to him, he realized he shouldn't: it was like being at a very nice art gallery. Look, don't touch. Quiet as a church. Link's fingers were dirty, he'd leave prints, he'd bring down the beauty of this instrument. He assumed that the xylophone belonged to Megan (somehow he could not picture his boss playing one), and he could understand why Zelda hadn't wanted to buy one of those ones with garish orange, blue, green and yellow keys.

Resisting the temptation to open the piano, Link turned his back on it and faced a bookshelf. Here were many, many books and sheets of music. The top two shelves seemed to be devoted to first grade level music, so Link stopped to see what kind was on the bottom.

_Carousel, The King and I, 42__nd__ Street_, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Gershwin…he pulled this last one out and opened it, wondering how advanced Zelda's piano skills were. Link's eyebrows nearly rose off his head—there were so many notes embedded on the page, he could barely see the bars. The key had five flats (which was THAT?), and a little while later it was changed to four sharps. Link had thought he knew most of what was one sheet music, but there were least six symbols on this paper alone that he could not even remotely recognize.

_Guess she's pretty good_, he reasoned.

After putting the book back, he straightened up again and took to staring at what appeared to be a window. Link was guessing this because there was something large being covered by a drawn, dark green curtain. He felt as if by opening it, he'd be breaking some kind of unspoken law, like he'd felt with opening the piano. But that was silly—it was just a window, right?

WRONG!

But Link didn't know or suspect that. He figured that the room needed a little light. So saying, he took it upon himself to open the curtain. Only, like I said, what Link found behind it was not a window.

It was a family portrait that consisted of four of the most beautiful women Link had ever seen. Gaping slightly, he backed up and sat down on the velvet piano bench, staring in awe.

Two of the women, the ones on the left, were wearing black. The other two on the right were dressed in crimson. The one furthest on the left, Link had recognized right away—those light blue eyes and blonde, blonde hair had been a dead giveaway. It was a younger Zelda Cleverly, at least five years younger. He could tell because she was holding an eighteen-month baby in her arms (at least it looked that old), a baby Link could only assume was her own Megan.

But another thing Link had noticed: Not Zelda nor the baby was smiling. In fact, none of the girls were; they all looked somber. In most family portraits, everyone was smiling, maybe feigning seriousness, but these girls looked _sad_, no bones about it. He had thought perhaps Zelda might've shown the slightest bit of new-mother-giddiness, but no such luck at all.

The girl seated all the way to the right was also holding a baby, a boy. Her hair was wavy and black, down to just about her shoulders. Her eyes were two bright green emeralds, shining but with no warmth. The position of her eyebrows mimicked her enviable widow's peak, and her grim expression seemed almost natural. The woman's baby was slightly older looking than Megan. Then Link remembered that this was Zelda's sister Vivien, who had been in the second picture of Malon's album. In that photo she hadn't been smiling obviously, but there had been an amused glint in her eyes and a shadow of a grin on her face that were no longer there.

Standing behind Vivien was a brunette Link had not seen before. She was both plain and pretty at the same time; deep, chocolate-brown eyes that matched her hair, parted down the middle, dark with small high-lights of brighter brown here and there. Her slightly furrowed brow implied that at the moment, she was contemplating something very bothersome indeed.

Next to this stranger was another familiar girl. A heart-shaped face was framed by wonderfully straight reddish-brown hair. She had duller green eyes than Vivien, but they were just as appealing to look at. Link tried to picture the woman smiling, and realized she was one of Zelda's other sisters, Terra.

And finally, Link's eyes rested on Zelda again. Yesterday (and this morning), her hair had been pulled back, so that not even one strand was out of place. In this portrait, though, her hair was flowing down over her shoulders, tucked behind her ears. He noted that it reached down to about her elbows.

Upon closer inspection, Link noticed that it wasn't a painting, but a photograph superimposed on a canvas. He longed to reach up and touch it, but once again had to fight hard to restrain himself. "Wow," he murmured for the second time. He kept looking at their eyes, and for similarities… blue, hazel, brown, green.

Zelda and Vivien had the same nose; she and the brunette shared eyes and heads of the same shape; Terra and Vivien had the same pointed chin; all these little things that made Link wish he had at least one brother or sister. Slowly, he drew the curtain back. Shuddering slightly, he walked out of the room and crossed the hall. There he was met by a pair of shut doors. Curiously, they were locked. This was indeed a little annoying, but Link knew nothing would come of trying to force open the door. It was just a room.

**A/N**

Or _is_ it just a room? Hm…you'll have to wait a while to find out.


	4. Meet the Firm

Link walked back to the kitchen

Link walked back to the kitchen. Malon was sitting on the couch with her cell phone, and Megan (who'd apparently come down whilst he was elsewhere in the house), was standing precariously on a chair by some tall cupboards. She did appear in danger of toppling off onto the ground, so Link quickly intervened.

"Whoa there, kiddo," he said. Megan turned around with a look of surprise, as if she wasn't accustomed to a man speaking to her. But the look soon vanished, and was replaced by a wide grin. "Hi, Link!"

"Morning, Megan. You'd better get off that chair, you don't wanna fall."

"I'm not gonna fall!" Megan said indignantly. "I just—can't—reach!" She waved her arm about in desperation.

Link smiled and said, "Why don't you let me help you, kid?"

Sighing, Megan said, "Okay, thanks."

With ease, Link reached up and opened the small cabinet door. "What is it you want from in here?"

"The bread," Megan responded, doing her best to point him in the right direction.

"Righto, gov'ner," he said in his best Cockney accent (sounding even worse than Dick van Dyke, I might add). He grabbed the desired object and brought it down. "You ain't just gonna eat it like that, are you?" he joked.

"Of course not," Megan replied, and whether or not she got it was unapparent. "Why should I eat it plain when I can use a toaster? We've got the technology to help us! This is the 14th century?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "Is it really?"

Megan, however, did not seem to have heard him—she was bustling about the kitchen using various forms of technology to toast bread, thaw butter, and get water. Just as he was wondering if he should eat something else (doughnuts had been so long ago and were never enough anyway), Link spotted a note addressed to him:

_Mr. Vaughn__ Link,_

_I don't know what it is you like for breakfast, but there's bread in the cupboard third from the left, cereal in the Lazy Susan by the fridge, and fruit just about everywhere. There's a supermarket four blocks down. _

_P.S. If you want to use the toaster, hit it to get it started_.

Indeed a second after he read this, he heard Megan hit the toaster loudly.

"No wonder your mother asked me to buy a new toaster!" Malon said, off the phone. "If you hit it like that, something's bound to—"

"It's not broken because I hit it," Megan interrupted her, explaining. "I hit it because it's broken." 

Link could see Malon trying to work that out in her head. "Oh…kay, then."

"Do either of you know when my mom is getting home?" Megan asked.

Malon and Link exchanged glances. "No, not exactly," the former said.

"Well, it's just that she promised to take me to the zoo, and I was just wondering when I should be ready by."

"What time does the zoo close?" Link asked slowly.

"Um…five-thirty, I think."

Malon winced. "Um…honey, I—"

"Do I know you?" Megan asked, narrowing her eyes. She didn't say it so she sounded rude, but rather curious.

The red-head appeared lost for a moment, then said, "My name's Malon. I'm an old friend of your mother's—haven't seen you since a couple days after you were born."

"Oh, yeah," Megan said. "I've seen pictures of you and stuff. What's your full name, Malon?"

"Erm…Malon Rancher."

"What's your middle name?"

Malon blushed a little. "Nayru."

"Nayru?" Megan and Link asked in unison.

"Yeah…don't ask."

"Okay. Sorry, what were you gonna say?"

Apparently, Malon had forgotten. "Uh…"

"She wanted to tell you a bit of bad news," Link said. "Your mom's got a lot of work to do today…" He glanced up at Malon, who nodded.

"A huge case at the firm came up, almost out of no where," Malon added, putting her hand on Megan's shoulder. "She's really, really very sorry, but…she just can't make it home early enough today."

"Oh," Megan said in a hollow voice. "Again. Okay."

Link didn't know if it would be in character for the girl to burst into tears or not, but at the same time he felt he should say something comforting. "But you know what? I would _love_ to take you to the zoo."

"Yeah, me too," Malon said, starting to feel superfluous.

"Really?" Megan asked, lifting her green-gray eyes to meet Link's.

He nodded. "Really."

"Can we go right now?" Megan asked.

"You gonna go in your pajamas?" Link asked, raising his eyebrows.

Megan smiled, then ran upstairs without another word.

"Thanks for volunteering to come along," Link sighed, straightening.

Malon shrugged. "Haven't been to a zoo in a long time. Should be fun."

Then the two of them realized that they still weren't properly dressed either, and consequently went to their separate rooms to chance. Megan was done before either of them—this was proved by the sound of the xylophone that resonated so loudly it could be heard from upstairs. Looking around his frighteningly pink room, Link decided he was definitely going to take Zelda up on her offer of being allowed to repaint it. He left the deep green hoodie on, but changed his flannel bottoms for khaki colored cargos.

Link headed back down the spiral staircase to the room where he knew Megan was. As he had expected, the young girl was standing at the instrument, banging away. He could recognize the tune as a broken version of "Green sleeves."

"Not bad," Link commented when Megan came to a pause.

She looked up. "Oh, thanks," she said. "It's actually supposed to be for piano, but I think it's fun playing it on this. It's probably my worst song, though… my mom wants me to learn it…" A wide grin suddenly broke onto her previously glum face. "Do you wanna hear my favorite??"

"Yeah, sure," Link said, looking amused.

Megan took her "Classic Carols" book off the stand and rushed over to the music shelf. She then took out one sheet wedged between two of her books. "Saria wrote this one," Megan said, putting it into the stand.

"Saria?" Link repeated, wondering if that was some famous composer he should know, but soon found out that that wasn't the case.

"She's my piano teacher," Megan said. "Well, my xylophone teacher, too, actually. From school."

"Oh."

"Saria's really cool," Megan told him, picking up her sticks. "Her hair is like the same color as your shirt."

Link raised his eyebrows and glanced down at his sweater. _Hm_. And then, Megan started playing Saria's Song. It was very cheery, almost jumpy. Link suddenly felt the urge to break into interpretive dance, but settled instead on letting out a loud laugh. The song seemed almost too happy to be allowed in the solemn abode.

"That reminds me," Megan said, once she'd finished playing. "Saria's coming over at five-thirty tomorrow for my lesson, so we need to be home then."

"Yes, ma'am," Link obliged.

"When can we go?" she asked, walking out from behind the xylophone.

"As soon as Malon's ready, I guess," Link answered. "C'mon, let's go to the, uh… foyer and wait for her."

"What's a foyer?" Megan asked, following Link outside the room.

"Uh…it's kind of a fancy word for…an entrance hall," Link fumbled.

"Entrance hall?" Megan reiterated.

"Where we are now," Link elaborated (they had just stopped by the front door).

"Okay guys, let's ROCK!"

Link and Malon turned and looked up at the stairs. Malon was coming down them, wearing (short) shorts of denim and a white T-shirt that boasted "I (heart) NY."

"Nice shirt," Link said with a wolfish grin. " I came from New York, you know."

"Did you really?" Malon asked, setting her sunglasses atop her regal head. "I got this tee on a trip there a couple years ago. Cool place."

"Yeah," Link agreed. "Pretty cool."

"But the zoo's an even cooler place," Megan said, pulling on Link's hand. "Let's go, you guys!"

"Okay, okay, kiddo," Link said. He opened the front door. "After you."

Megan skipped merrily out into the driveway. "Do you know how to get to the zoo?" Link asked Malon through his teeth.

"Yes, if you can get me to Monroe Square. Do you think you could?"

"Sure."

The two of them walked out to Link's pick-up, where Megan was excitedly jumping up and down. As Malon stepped into the front seat, Link raised his eyebrows at the little Cleverly.

"Can I ride in the big back part?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Eh, not this time, kid," Link answered.

"Aww, why not?" Megan pouted.

"Well, there are no seatbelts in the back," Link explained, "and it's against the law for you to…not be wearing a seat belt." Under his breath, he added, "at least it is in New York."

Roughly Ten Minutes Later…

"Do you guys know how to play 'Picnic'?" Megan asked from the back seat.

"No," the two adults replied.

"OOH! It's really, really fun!" she said. "The first person is like, 'I'm going to the picnic, and I'm bringing…' and then they say something that starts with A. And then the next person is like, 'I'm going on the picnic and I'm bringing…' and then they have to say what the first person said, and add on something that starts with B."

"And so on until Z?" Malon asked.

"Yes! Do you wanna play?"

"Sure."

"YAY! Okay, Link, you start."

"All right… does it have to be food?"

"No, you could bring like a computer or something."

"'Kay." Deciding he should probably keep things simple (seeing as how they were playing with a six year old), Link cast his mind about for something that started with an A. He ended up choosing food, anyway: "I'm going on the picnic, and I'm bringing an apple."

Malon was next. Also thinking she shouldn't get complicated, she said, "I'm going to the picnic, and I'm bringing an apple and… a basketball."

"Not bad," Megan said, as they came to a halt at a red light. She thought for a moment, then said, "I'm going on the picnic, and I'm bringing an apple, a basketball, and the cryogenically frozen head of Walt Disney!"

Link and Malon turned around in their seats to stare at her, floored.

"Light's green," she said cheerily.

The three of them played all the way to the zoo, Malon ending it all with them bringing Zsa Zsa Gabor.

"Who's Zsa Zsa Gabor?" Megan asked.

"Oh, she was an actress/famous person," Malon replied. "From Hungary."

"Hungry?"

"Ary."

"…oh…kay!"

Meanwhile…

"Cleverly! You're late!"

Zelda looked up at the clock. "Negative, sir. This meeting is to start at 8:00, and it is now 7:59."

Some of her coworkers chuckled, but her boss did not appear to be amused. "You're still late, Cleverly—on time, like I _told_ you, is to be five minutes early. On time is _late_, you slacker."

"Try to forgive me, _Mr. _Ganondorf," Zelda said, taking her seat between Schreiber and Wickham. "I was under the impression that to be on time meant being on time."

Schreiber looked as if she wanted to smile, but didn't dare to under the glare of their (freaky) boss.

"Think you're very smart, don't you, Cleverly?" he growled (Zelda wanted to reply to that, but bit her tongue and didn't). "Well, you may be smart, but don't get smart with me. Don't mess with a bull, missy, you'll get the horns."

She couldn't believe he was quoting The Breakfast Club. He mistook her look of disbelief to mean something else, though, and felt compelled to add:

"Now I know you were attached to your old boss, and he was very fond of you as well, but I don't care. _I'm _your boss, now. You do things according to how I say, you come here when I say. Do. You. Understand. Ms. Cleverly."

"Quite, sir," Zelda responded through her teeth. "May I make one proposition?"

"What would that be?" he asked, not trying the slightest bit to sound polite.

"While I appreciate your desire to attempt humiliating me in front of everybody else here, may I suggest that in the future you simply pull me aside afterwards? It's just that I _hate_ to see you in a state of hypocrisy and that is exactly where you are—it is now approximately 7:02, sir. Our meeting is beginning seven minutes late."

"If you waste my time once more, Cleverly, you are _out_ of here," Ganondorf said in a dangerous tone, overriding those who had dared to snigger.

A few people subtly rolled their eyes. Zelda was the brainchild of the firm, and anybody who ever fired her would be doomed to go down in history as the world's biggest idiot. But the clever girl said no more, and so with one last contemptuous look, the boss began his lecture on statistics.

Zelda immediately tuned out. She almost never did that, but considering she'd passed a statistics course in college with full marks, she felt her rapt attention was not, at the moment, necessary. Besides, she had much more important things to think about. It was Megan's first days with a new nanny—or perhaps "sitter" would be a better term for him, Zelda thought with a smirk. But before her mind could delve deeper into the matter, she was distracted by Schreiber's pencil.

It was hitting the table in rapid succession. But Zelda knew almost right away that this was not just a mere habit of Schreiber's or something she did out of boredom, but that she was trying to communicate in Morse code. The rapping was used to get the other's attention.

Zelda glanced at Schreiber. Both her brown eyes were looking directly at their boss, but Zelda knew this was just a façade. She tapped her pencil twice against her notebook to inform Schreiber she was aware of her.

The brunette shifted slightly in her seat, then crossed her legs and tilted her head slightly towards the ceiling. _What's up? _She stared at the table briefly, rubbing her temple near her eye. _You look down about something_.

Zelda frowned and pushed some hair out of her eyes. _It's nothing_.

Schreiber gave a small, quiet cough, rolling her eyes. _Yeah, right!_

Heaving a sigh, Zelda planned to respond, but unfortunately, she had sighed perhaps a little too loud.

"I hope I'm not boring you, Cleverly?" Ganondorf asked, feigning concern.

"Certainly not, sir," Zelda said, leaning forward. "In fact, I am most intrigued by the subject of statistics. Please continue."

"Thank you for your permission," he growled, before carrying on.

Underneath the table, Schreiber kicked Zelda, then toggled her pencil back and forth between two fingers, shaking her head and smirking. _You're not worming your way out of THIS one, Cleverly!_

Zelda raised her eyebrows and straightened. _Why not?_

Schreiber furiously started to tap out a reply with her pencil.

"SCHRIEBER!!" yelled The Man. "Would you STOP that infernal tapping?! Please, all of you, put your writing implements to good use and draw this graph!"

While the rest of her co-workers begrudgingly did so, Zelda merely opened her legal pad to a blank page. She'd already memorized that graph two years ago, in college. So had Schreiber.

Pretending to be copying down the graph, Schreiber wrote a note to Zelda on her own pad: _You look really pensive about something_. Pause. _that's not statistics_.

Snorting a laugh, Zelda decided that she should just answer. _I got a new sitter yesterday for my daughter_.

_How old is she again?_

_Six. Anyway, it's my first time hiring a guy._

Schreiber's eyes widened. _A GUY?_

_He's my neighbor's son_.

_Is he hot?_

Zelda gave her associate a withering look. You'd think business people as serious as lawyers (especially Schreiber) would be above being boy-stupid and perverted. Kind of like Malon. _I'll talk to you at lunch_, Zelda wrote. And she did.

"Wow, hiring a man is like, breakthrough!" Schreiber squealed.

"Eliza, it's not big deal," Zelda sighed, opening a water bottle. "You and my friend are getting really excited about _nothing_."

"Nothing my butt!" Schreiber exclaimed a bit loudly, quite uncharacteristically non-eloquently. Zelda raised her eyebrows, but for all the effect it had, she might as well not have. "Sooo, what's his name, and is he a hunk, or what??"

Letting out a laugh of disbelief, Zelda leaned back in her chair. "You're acting just like a KID!"

"Y'all know I'm just young at heart!" Schreiber giggled girlishly. "Go on, Zel, what's his name?"

"Link Vaughn," Zelda groaned, admitting defeat.

"Really?" Schreiber asked, looking surprised. "Link _Vaughn?_"

"Do you know him?" Zelda asked slowly, arching an eyebrow in skepticism.

"I…" Schreiber now looked kind of confused. "I have no idea _where_ I've heard that name before, but I definitely have…"

Zelda shrugged; it probably wasn't true. "You check up on that, Eliza."

"Oh, I will."

**A/N**: Sorry this seems like kind of another one of those "nothing" chapters, but the next installment will hopefully be worth it!


	5. Cleverlys Don't Cry

At the zoo, Megan was going absolutely nuts

**A/N**: My apologies to anyone reading this story—I didn't realize it had been so long since I updated! (it's that time of year again…final crunching time for school). So anyway, if you recall, Link, Malon, and Megan were chilling at the zoo. . .

**&-**

At the zoo, Megan was going absolutely nuts.

"ELEPHANT SHREW!!" she cried. "Malon, c'mere, c'mere, c'mere, look!"

"Ooh, look at the weeny rodent!" Malon squealed.

"It's so cute!" the two of them gushed.

"Yeah, yeah, really cute," Link said. He wasn't being sarcastic, but he wasn't being enthusiastic, either. Sure, a shrew with an overly-long nose was pretty, well, adorable, but Link was more for a ferocious animal than a cute critter.

This dawned on Malon, and she grinned and straightened. "Where would _you_ like to go now, Link?"

"Yeah, where?" Megan asked, not looking away from her precious shrew.

"Oh, I don't care," Link said sheepishly, placing his hands in his pockets. "I really don't…mind…"

"Aw, come on," Malon goaded him. "Just pick any place in the park."

"Okay, um…are there any of those big cats around?" he asked, turning red.

"Yeah, we passed them on our way to the mouse house," Megan said, hopping down from the step she'd been perched on. "Cats are cool! Let's go!"

Watching Megan skip ahead of them, chasing a peacock, Malon felt compelled to say something. "I never knew if I…I mean, I can never decide if I agree with zoos or not," she said, chuckling a little. "I mean, what they do. On one hand, they protect countless species, endangered and not, from becoming extinct, but on the other hand…"

"They confine wild animals to areas significantly smaller than their natural habitat," Link finished for her. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean."

"I just feel _cruel_ sometimes, you know?" Malon sighed. "Like we're…flaunting our freedom by pointing and gaping at these poor creatures…they don't deserve it."

Link nodded. "I expect it's a dilemma we'll both be stuck with for a while. Like you said, there are arguments for both cases. It saves so many animals…there are just some idiots who go around abusing the opportunity to see them."

Malon followed his gaze and realized what Link was glaring at. On their way to the big cats, the group had inadvertently walked into the ape house. A pair of garishly dressed tourists was standing in front of a lone gorilla's cage. The big simian was lying on his side, his hands covering his ears, and his eyes screwed shut.

"Come on, fella, let's see your monkey face!" the middle-aged woman squealed in a high-pitched voice. She rapped her knuckles on the glass. "Come on, pose for a picture with the pretty lady!" She flashed a photo of him, and the bright light made him cringe slightly.

Her husband had joined in the knocking on the glass. Link grimaced and took note of the sign posted right by the tourists in clear view; the sign projecting rules which each individual seemed to regard themselves as the exception to:

1) _Do not_ tap glass

2) No flash photography

3) Do not ask primates for directions.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Link said in the politest voice he could muster. "I don't think he likes that."

"Likes what?" she asked distractedly, still hitting the glass.

He restrained the urge to grab her wrist. "You knocking on the glass. You're not supposed to do it, they don't like it."

"Do you work here, young man?" the woman's husband asked, as if Link's lack of authority made him unimportant.

"He doesn't need to have to work here to know that what you're doing is wrong!" piped up a small girl's voice. The tourists found themselves turning and looking at little Megan, who had popped out of nowhere, it seemed. Her speech went on. "Would either of _you_ like it if _you_ were in a cage all day, and someone in tacky clothes came up and knocked on the glass forever?"

"Yeah, it's like Chinese water torture," Malon added.

Looking slightly embarrassed, the couple muttered something incomprehensible and left the ape house.

"From the mouths of babes!" Malon said in a low voice. She laughed and shook her head. "Only a Cleverly."

"Yeah, you really told 'em off, Megan," Link said as they proceeded out of the building as well. He gave her a high five. "Thanks for helping me out."

"You're welcome! Now let's go to that cat place!"

"Yes, ma'am," Link said.

"Ma'am?" Megan giggled. "That's what everyone calls, like, my mom. Well, except her boss. I heard her telling Mrs. Vaughn that he thinks she's a—"

And then she uttered a word that made old women passing by gasp in chock. Malon, looking scandalized, cried, "Megan!"

"What?" the little girl asked innocently.

Malon and Link exchanged significant looks; he appeared to be trying hard not to laugh, whereas she was frowning at him.

"Was that a bad word?" asked Megan, looking rather cute.

"Well, uh…" Malon thought she should choose her words carefully. "Let's just say it's not a word used in, uh…high society."

"Yeah, outside of a kennel!" Link blurted. He and Malon burst out laughing so loudly that they didn't hear Megan asking what a kennel was. And that was when they reached the big cat house.

"Ooh, it's big," Megan observed. "Just like the cats."

Megan and Malon were immediately enraptured with a pair of snow leopards. The animals' blue eyes matched the paint of the scenery on the walls of their cage. The smaller leopard put her paw up on the wall and pressed against it, as if hoping she could break through.

"They're beautiful," Malon breathed. "A friend of mine had her car seats covered in fake fur patterned like that."

Megan tugged at Malon's hand, and pointed to the plaques with many random bits of snow leopard information on them. "Could you read that to me?"

Link tapped Malon on the shoulder and pointed forward a ways. "I'll be just up there, okay?"

Malon glanced at where he was pointing and smiled. "Have fun, tiger."

Making a face at her, Link walked towards the tigers. He had always had a certain fondness and fascination for the animal; the way a tiger paced the ground, yawned, looked just like an overgrown housecat. Three tigers were in the capacious enclosure, a thick sheet of glass separating their outside area from the people indoors. Two of them were in a fight, rearing back on their hind legs, batting each other on the side of the head. The last tiger was further away, attempting to walk up a very thin, pliant tree.

A loud outburst of laughter distracted Link, and he looked to his left to see two middle aged men, one grumpy, the other laughing hysterically. They were looking at the tigers, but not really seeing them. Link decided to eavesdrop.

"For Chrissake, Steve, she's just practically a kid!"

"Yeah, thanks, that makes me feel so much better," grumbled the man named Steve, still looking really P.O'd. "You'd have lost, too, if _you'd_ been against her, Fox. I swear, she's got the intellect of a neuro-scientist."

"And the body of a supermodel," Fox smirked.

Steve snorted a laugh. "Yeah, but looking at it won't help you in the court room, my friend—even if it did, she doesn't wear the right kind of clothes. Anyway, Cleverly's just what her name would lead you to believe."

Link folded his arms and frowned. In a strange sort of way, he didn't feel all too surprised that they were talking about his new boss. In fact, that's what he had wondered from the first thing Fox had said.

"What is she…twenty-five?" Fox asked, lazily grabbing the jacket of a young boy running by. "Slower steps there, son."

"She's twenty-four," Steve replied through his teeth.

Fox raised his eyebrows. "Shouldn't she still be in school?"

"Oh, no," Steve said with a sour expression on his face. "No. She was put into all these accelerated courses, even if she wasn't doing extremely well, and of course going to dear old mom's alma mater _does_ help, especially when mom is the most famous lawyer this side of China."

"Clarissa Cleverly," the men said in unison.

"Clarissa _J_. Cleverly," Steve elaborated. "'J for Justice!'"

"Well, actually it was for Jane," Fox corrected him, almost automatically.

The men were silent for a couple moments. Link glanced sideways at them, and saw Steve looking at the tigers as if he'd just noticed they were there. The smallest one had given up scaling the flimsy tree, and was now nearly right up against the glass. He was pacing back and forth, and for a minute or so, he stopped in front of Steve and stared him in the eye.

Steve coughed and looked away, appearing flustered and uncomfortable. "What's with you?" Fox asked, amused.

"Looking Cleverly in the eyes is like staring a tiger in the face. You feel as if she's going to rip you apart and then stomp on your gut with her stiletto heels. Fears you never even considered creep up out of no where, you see holes in your arguments. You see those eyes pierce through your soul…you forget what your point was, what you were going to say next, how you were going to counter that remark if she said it…she tacitly instills these irrational fears in you." He turned to Fox, sweating slightly. "It… it sounds stupid, but it's like looking death in the face."

The other two tigers pulled the pacing one into their fight. The small one blew them both swats to the face, roaring loudly. Link's eyebrows raised; he was impressed. A small boy in front of him shouted, "Uncle Jeremy, are you watching?"

"Yeah," Fox answered gruffly. He suddenly looked very grave.

Link was distracted once more when Megan appeared at his elbow. "Whoa! What are those tigers doing?"

"Uh…fighting," Link answered.

Then Megan saw something more interesting to her than the tigers. "Ben?"

The little boy who had spoken to Fox turned around. "Oh, hi, Megan!"

Fox was looking from Ben to Megan, wearing an expression that clearly said he had no idea how the two knew each other. Link could almost see the cogs working in his brain to figure it out and try to make a connection.

"Who ya here with?" Ben asked conversationally.

"My nanny," Megan replied, nodding behind her.

Ben glanced at Malon, who had just walked up next to Link. He looked as if he was teetering on declaring how hot she was, but Megan spoke up before he could.

"My mom was supposed to bring me, but she had to work."

Ben frowned. "Is she a doctor?"

"No, that's my Aunt," Megan answered. "I can't remember what my mom does."

"Which one was your mom, again?"

"The tall, blonde one," Megan replied. With a touch of pride, she added, "The real pretty one."

A look of remembrance seemed to glaze over Ben's features. "Oh, yeah…"

Fox just seemed to have realized who Megan was. "Hey, you—"

"Excuse me, sir." A zoo official pushed by Link and Malon, and tapped Fox on the shoulder, interrupting his question. "Sir, would yours be the little tyke in the 'Grateful Dead' T-Shirt and combat boots?"

"Yes," Fox said, staring at him blankly.

"Well, he's trying to jump into the lion pit outside and won't stop trying to unless his father comes."

Without further ado, Fox grabbed Ben and dashed out the doors. Looking a little amused, Steve followed.

Malon stared after them. "Link, were you eavesdropping on those guys?"

"Uh…how could you tell?"

She smirked. "I just know things. Rude habit, you know."

"You'd have been eavesdropping, too, if it was you," Link said in a lower voice. "They were talking about my boss."

"Eh?" Malon asked. "That's weird. What were they, er…saying about her?"

Link cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, they're lawyers, or at least one of them was—anyway, he was saying how she'd just beat him in court."

"Ah."

"And, uh, one of them was saying how they thought the reason she—Ms. Cleverly—was so far up on the ladder of success was because of her famous mother."

Malon nodded wisely, keeping an eye on Megan as she said, "Yeah, Clarissa Cleverly. Matron, stringent, bringing-home-the-bacon kind of woman. Real rich. Kind of disliked the fact that Zelda and I were friends, because I…was never really as wealthy." She flushed slightly.

Link was beginning to think how snotty this was, when he felt Megan pulling eagerly on his hand. "C'mon, Link, there's a leopard over there!" she said

"Wow, let's go!" Link said, quickly feigning enthusiasm.

This was not enough to satisfy Malon, though. "Megan, who was that little boy you were talking to?"

"Oh, don't worry," Megan said nonchalantly. "He was family."

"_Fam_ily?" Link and Malon repeated, looking positively dumbstruck.

"Yeah," Megan went on casually. "I saw him two years ago at a family…onion."

"Family onion?" Link asked, now really confused.

"Uh-huh," Megan said. "And my mom's whole family was there."

"Do you mean a family _reunion_?" Malon asked, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, yeah," Megan recalled unblushingly. "Anyway, my mom couldn't go, so the only time she was there was to pick me up. I wanted to go, so my Aunt Vivien brought me with her family and as soon as we got there, there was this boy who'd fallen off a swing and my aunt Vivien is a doctor so she calmed him down and cleaned him up and I helped so we became friends. His name's Ben."

"Did you recognize the man he was with?" Link asked.

"Oh, I didn't see him," Megan said carelessly, pressing up against the leopard cage. "Wow, look at him!"

"Her," Malon muttered to herself, skimming the plaque.

Link tried to focus on the beauty of the cat, but his brain was still buzzing about what he'd just heard. Who were those men? Would Malon have recognized Fox if she'd seen his face?

**&- Meanwhile. . . **

"Could you help me out here?" Schreiber asked Zelda, pulling up the Internet (or trying to) on her laptop.

Zelda sighed and marked her place in a heavy book of old court cases. "What with? Are you on the Rotenburg-Scheffler case?"

"Yes," Schreiber answered, "but that's not what I need your help with."

Smirking, Zelda rolled over on her wheeled chair. "Computer woes gotcha down again, Eliza?"

"Yes," Schreiber groaned. "Why won't the web open??"

Zelda pulled Schreiber's computer towards her. "Uh…that would be because you've been clicking on Word."

"What? I have?"

"Yeah, hence the fact that you have about six new documents open… nice job. I'll pull up the Internet for you—what's the site?"

Schreiber handed Zelda a slip of paper. "There." As she typed quickly, frowning slightly, Schreiber made a bold statement. "You don't smile much, do you."

"I smile," Zelda said passively.

"You smirk. I don't think I've ever seen you smile."

Zelda said nothing.

Schreiber pulled a weird face, sticking out her tongue. "Heeeeyyy Zellie! Did I tell you about the time my mom grounded me 'til menopause and I was like yours or mine and she was like your fathers!?"

"Watch any Roseanne lately?" Zelda asked, again wearing a poker face.

Slumping in her chair, Schreiber made a noise like the air being let out of a balloon. She tried a new tactic. "It takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile!"

"How do you think I get my exercise?"

"You need a boyfriend."

Pushing Schreiber's laptop roughly back to her, Zelda looked bewildered. "Little random, don't you think?"

"Nope," Schreiber said calmly. "If you had a boyfriend, you'd be happier."

"Oh, but I don't think I could ever be happier with someone else as I was with Marth," Zelda said sarcastically.

Blushing, Schreiber warily eyed the scar on Zelda's wrist. "I mean a _guy_, Zelda, not some scumbag. Doesn't Megan ever, like, want a—"

"No," Zelda interrupted her, opening the book again. "Megan does not need a father figure and she's fine with the new nanny I just hired."

Schreiber wanted to press the subject, but Zelda had such a scary, lawyer-like look on her face that she decided to drop the matter.

**. . . **

"Megan, what's that by your eyebrow?"

Still at the zoo, the threesome was sitting down for some ice cream. Link had just noticed a light mark on the girl's forehead he hadn't seen before.

Megan's hand went up instinctively to graze her head. "Oh, my scar."

"Yeah, what is that?" Malon asked curiously.

"Well, I guess I was like…two or three when it happened. My dad was coming to visit, and I was so excited to see him, I ran out of my room and right into my mom's glass table in the living room."

Link winced. "Ouch!"

"Yeah," Megan said, rubbing her head again. "I don't _actually_ remember it, like how much it hurt, but mom said it was bleeding a lot."

"Megan, do you remember your dad at all?" Malon asked quietly, wearing a very contemplative expression.

"Well…not really," Megan said slowly. "I don't even know what he looked like, 'cause my mom doesn't keep pictures of him around the house…but I remember he had dark hair, not like my mom."

"Do you remember what he was like?"

Megan shrugged. "Nope! I don't think my mom likes him very much and he can't like her that much either, because he never visits us anymore. I don't know why they got married at all."

There was silence for a few moments. Malon looked like she was struggling to keep some kind of forbidden sentence inside. Link was staring at the table. "I miss him," Megan said. "I think." She didn't seem very disturbed, in fact she just went on slurping her ice cream, but Link felt awkward and Malon looked tortured.

"Link?" Megan said softly. "My feet are really tired. Can we go?"

"Yeah, sure," Link said quickly, getting to his feet. He picked up the empty ice cream cups and threw them out. A small crashing noise made him swivel around.

"Whoa, are you okay there, honey?" Malon asked, holding out a hand for Megan—the young girl appeared to have fallen, and was now accepting Malon's help to stand back up. Blood was leaking down her legs from huge cuts on her knees.

"Gotsy!" Link gasped, rushing over. "Megan, what happened?"

"Uh, I tripped," she said simply, stooping a little. Her eyes were squinted from what looked like pain, but Link realized she was trying not to cry. He knelt down so that they were at equal height.

"That looks pretty bad," Link noted, motioning for Malon to get him some napkins. Megan's lower lip was trembling. He looked her in the eye and said gently, "You know it's okay to cry, Megan."

She bit down on her lip and still shed no tears, shaking her head. "No, no it's not. It's just a scratch."

Link stared at her, looking confounded. Didn't kids her age sob over things like paper cuts, and much more so when they had blood practically billowing down their legs? And yet Megan, though wavering slightly, did not cry at all. Malon came back to clean up the blood, and though she didn't say anything, Link could tell she was also surprised at the lack of tears.

"There you are," Malon said, tossing away the bloody napkins. "You sure you're okay, honey?"

Megan nodded.

"We'll have to bandage that up once we get home," Link said. Just as Link had straightened up, he saw a man with graying hair coming towards him.

"Sorry, I couldn't help noticing the, uh…accident that occurred over here," the man said, pulling something out of his backpack. It was a box of large band-aids. "I'm a doctor, I usually carry these around, just in case."

"Thanks, man," Link said, gratefully taking the box and getting on his knees again to properly fix up the wounds.

The doctor turned to Malon. "That was quite a fall your little girl took," he said.

"Oh, we're not her parents," Malon said quickly, faintly pink. "We're watching her for a …friend."

"Ah." The doctor then squatted down next to Link, taking a pack of tissues out of his pocket. "Here you go, sweetheart." Megan stared at him, and that's when he realized she wasn't crying. "Eh? No tears?"

Megan shook her head again. "I'm not a baby, you know."

"No crying for a Cleverly," Malon muttered darkly.

"Cleverly?" the doctor asked, his patron-like voice suddenly gone. "Are you related to Zelda Cleverly?"

"Uh-huh, she's my mom," Megan replied, while Link and Malon exchanged incredulous looks.

"Your mother got my cousin out of a bad spot a couple years back," the doctor told her, looking excited. "Never forgot her! Brilliant mind for someone so young!" He got to his feet, beaming. "My family really owes her one!"

"Thanks for the band-aids," Link said slowly, handing him back the box. "Really glad we ran into you…"

"Oh, pleasure's all mine!" the man sputtered. "Safe journey home, now!" And he ran back to his table, looking rather flustered.

"Geez," Malon snorted. "The way people have been talking, you'd think Zelda was some kind of celebrity."

"Link, can I ride on your back?" Megan asked, giving him her best look-how-cute-and-helpless/hurt-I-am expression.

"Yeah, okay," Link chuckled, bending down so she could get on.

Later that Night…

It was half past ten. Zelda was still in her small office, scribbling away. A ringing noise went off in her bag, making her jump. Sighing, she opened the bag and irritably answered her cellular phone.

"Hello?"

"Zel, you still at work?" It was Malon.

"No, I'm in Tallahassee," Zelda grumbled.

"Oh, ha."

"What do you want, Malon?" Zelda asked, sounding more tired than annoyed.

"Just checking in, you know, ask if you're going to be home any time soon," Malon said casually.

"Mal, I'm up to my eyes in work," Zelda sighed. "I don't know when I'm going to get out of here. And I'll probably have to get up really early tomorrow, to get here as soon as possible."

"Why?" Malon asked.

Zelda tried not to sound impatient. "Firstly, I have to review all these briefs—"

"Ew!" Malon interrupted. "You a _pimp!_"

"Malon!" Zelda groaned "Briefs. As in documents of the legal variety! Why are you so perverted?"

"Right, sorry. What's the second reason?"

"I never gave Link a proper job interview," Zelda replied. "My goal is to do this by either tomorrow evening or Saturday." She paused. "He seemed good and everything …how was he today?"

"You mean with Megan? Oh, he was fabulous. I think she really likes him."

"Great," Zelda said, stifling a yawn. "Would you be able to watch Megan for me when I take him out?"

"Oh, I guess," Malon responded. "That reminds me—Megan wants to know if she and Link could paint his room tomorrow."

"Yeah, fine," Zelda said. "Just please nothing garish. And I also don't want to get home and see that Jackson Pollock has come back from the dead to do a room of my house, all right?"

"Fair enough," Malon laughed.

"Oh, there goes my office phone," Zelda observed. "I'll talk to you later, Malon."

"Well, bye."

"Bye." Zelda shut off the cell and picked up her office telephone. "Hello, you've reached Zelda Isabel Cleverly, may I be of service to you?"

"Hey, it's me." Schreiber.

"Oh. Hi, Eliza. I was wondering who could possibly be calling this late."

"I called you on a lark; are you really still working?"

"Yes…remember the old man that passed away? He completely screwed up my case. Stupid Topham family…how's Rotenburg-Scheffler?"

Schreiber grimaced, though Zelda couldn't see it. "Let's just say Rotenburg's getting sadistic and Scheffler hasn't got a prayer—never did—but I've got to defend her anyway. Great, huh?"

"Yeah…so what're you calling about, anyhow? It's nothing personal, I assure you, it's just that I've got a bunch of paperwork to go through, you know…"

"Right," Schreiber said. "I was calling about Link Vaughn."

"How'd you know my new employee's name?" Zelda asked.

"You told me, remember? And I was like, oh, that's familiar, and you were like, oh yeah, whatever—well, it turns out I _did_ know him!"

"You did!"

"Yeah, wanna hear what I have to say about him?"

"So long as it doesn't include a criminal record, shoot," Zelda sighed. "Just make it as quick as you can, will you?"

"Sure thing. Anyway, we went to the same school, K—12. Well, practically. He was gone for sophomore and junior year, then came back."

Zelda straightened with interest. "But…didn't you grow up in New York?"

"Born and raised there," Schreiber answered. "Isn't that weird that we both ended up way out here?"

"Yeah," Zelda muttered. "Or his parents did, anyway." She paused—she wanted to ask Schreiber what she remembered about Link, but felt asking "What was he like?" sounded a little too schmaltzy. Fortunately, Schreiber seemed to have read her thoughts.

"I recall that he was very…very sharp," she said delicately. She laughed. "I'm pretty sure he was in my Home Economics class one year. He was quite a baker."

"Really…what about his grades?"

Here, Schreiber hesitated. "Um…well, he _graduated_…"

"Schreiber."

"Okay, well, I'm pretty sure he did well through freshman year, and then he moved, and when he came back, he….OH." She sounded as if she'd just suddenly understood something that had been bothering her for a long while. "That was the year we got a new principal."

"So?"

"So…our getting a new principal to Link was kind of like… Dragmire replacing Deku for you."

"Oh. So basically, Link felt a desire to strangle this man by his own vocal chords, gouge his eyes out, and make a eunuch out of him?"

"Uh, wow. You really hate Dragmire that much?"

"Quite."

"Well, I guess that's pretty much how Link felt about this principal…they _hated_ each other."

"Why?" Zelda asked blankly.

"I don't know," Schreiber said. "But there was this real palpable enmity between them. I think the principal thought Link was a punk 'cause of the way he dressed."

"You'll have to show me a picture, because he sure doesn't dress like one now."

"Lordy, he was _hot_, too," Schreiber recalled.

"Thanks for the information, Eliza," Zelda said. "Now if you don't mind, I'd really like to get back to my _job_."

"Okay," Schreiber laughed. "Have fun. Bye."

"Bye." Zelda put her phone back in its place and stared at the papers in front of her. Now her mind was buzzing with so many different things, she found it difficult to concentrate on legal matters. She couldn't stop thinking about Link—or the stuff Schreiber had said about him.

Then she remembered Mido saying something about going to High School with Link as well. All these odd coincidences! Zelda also recalled Mido tried to talk her out of hiring Link, but Schreiber had given him a pretty good review—but then, she observed shrewdly, Schreiber might've only said that because she thought he was hot. In the end, Zelda decided she'd just have to judge him herself.

**A/N**: Whoo! Don't you just love my over-the-top attempts at symbolic imagery? Wow, I love this cheese. Sorry it took me so long to update this!!


	6. Zelda is McDreamy

A/N: Wahoo…

**A/N**: Wahoo…! Another chapter of seeming randomness. I don't really know what this is; character development I guess.

**&-**

It was pitch black. Zelda's eyes shot open. Where was she? For a couple moments she sat petrified in the dark, waiting for her eyes to adjust. She saw the dim outline of a lamp and reached for the switch. Light flooded the room, and Zelda realized where she was: her office. Still. What time was it? She looked at the clock on the wall and winced. Three o'clock in the morning!

_Crap_, she thought, quickly collecting her papers and throwing them into her briefcase. Falling asleep at work was becoming almost regular; it was a bad habit she really had to learn how to break.

Zelda stepped out of her office and locked it. The firm looked so much creepier at night than it did during the day. The hallways were completely dark, but that didn't keep Zelda from knowing exactly where she was going. Straight, left turn, straight, right, stairway. The first step downwards did not catch her by surprise at all, she'd been walking this same path for nearly five years and was now quite confident doing so in the dark hours of the night.

That didn't make her like it any more, though. Heading for her car, Zelda still had the feeling she was being followed, or watched. To ease her nerves, Zelda turned on the car radio as soon as she got in. Immediately, she began station surfing for a song that fit her mood.

_It's the time of the season for loving—_

Too sketchy.

_BORN TO BE WILD!!_

Too loud.

_Oops, I did_—

Zelda didn't even allow Britney the luxury of finishing "it again;" she switched the station so fast her finger bone made a cracking noise.

_…All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray…_

Perfect. Zelda relaxed into the slow, somewhat depressing song. She had never personally dreamt of California (she lived there), but the song had always been an odd favorite of hers. Just then, as if to add to the mood, it started to rain. With a sigh, Zelda turned on the window wipers.

She passed a totaled, golden Toyota. Zelda looked out the window as she drove by, slowing down slightly; noted an upset-looking teenage girl being comforted by an older man balancing a cell phone on his shoulder. Glass and car parts littered the ground at their feet. Out of the corner of her eye, just as the wreck was nearly out of sight, Zelda saw somebody's arm sticking out from inside of the car.

_Got down on my knees, and I began to pray…_

As she drove on, Zelda frowned. For being so generally referred to as merciful, it seemed that God could sure be ruthless sometimes. _I hope they turn out okay_.

She got home at 3:35, much quicker than usual—but then, she hadn't had to sit through the normal morning traffic. Quiet as a church mouse, Zelda entered the house and locked the door behind her. Silently she headed towards the door that initially led to her bedroom, then changed her mind and direction. Zelda removed her heeled shoes, set them by the kitchen, and stalked up the main marble staircase.

Her brow furrowed. A sliver of light was coming from around the corner down the hall, where Megan's room was. Not even wanting to consider that the girl might be awake at this hour, Zelda resignedly headed towards the light.

The door was practically closed. Zelda put her hand on the knob, but didn't open it right away. She shut her eyes and tried to compose an expression that was not too angry or impatient looking. _Just picture a face opposite the ones mom used to pull_. Funnily enough, that did it and she cautiously entered the room.

Megan lay with her back to the door, underneath only a sheet, the quilted covers kicked to the floor. Zelda gathered them up and glanced at Megan's face.

She was fast asleep.

Zelda suddenly felt a foreign urge to brush some of Megan's hair out of her face, maybe kiss her cheek, something those mothers in the movies always did. But Zelda did nothing, because she was aware that the kids in those movies were unnaturally deep sleepers, as deep as the script required them to be. Megan would wake up in an instant. Zelda turned off the light and exited the room.

She dumped the heavy blankets into the bathroom closet, then went back down the staircase. Across the living room, down the hall…she opened a stark white door and climbed the carpeted stairway behind it. The stairs led to Zelda's bedroom.

So tired was she that Zelda only pulled off her coat and unbuttoned her shirt before falling onto her bed.

**&-**

Morning came rough, hard, and early. Glancing at the clock, Zelda realized with a start that she had never set her alarm. It was 9:30. Zelda jumped out of bed as if she'd been electrocuted. She thought rapidly as she changed clothes—no meetings with Dragmire today; she supposed if she had he'd fire her for being so late. She ran to brush her teeth and deducted there was not time for a shower. Or makeup. A slew of curse words went through Zelda's mind as she grabbed her bag and flew down the stairs.

Malon, meanwhile, had just noted something strange. Lowering her coffee mug from her lips, she said, "That's weird, Zelda's Lexus is still in the driveway. Does that mean she's still here?"

Link leaned back in his chair so he could see out the window. "Huh."

Right on cue, Zelda came bursting out of the door leading to her bedroom. Malon and Link stared at her. She stared at them.

"Zelda, shouldn't you be at work?" Malon asked slowly.

"Overslept," Zelda said shortly, rubbing at the bags under her eyes. Half-heartedly brushing some loose strands out of her face, she added, "Got home real late." She looked over at Link. "Megan's got a piano lesson today, around five-thirty. There's a check for her teacher on the marble table by the front door."

"Roger that," Link said.

Malon gave her friend a wry smile. "Megan was real cute last night, she insisted on waiting up for you as late as she could."

"I wondered, actually," Zelda said. "Her light was on when I got home."

"She's in a deep sleep right now. Couldn't wake her up with a mallet to the head."

Zelda looked like she was teetering on making a very important decision. Malon was giving her a polite accusatory look. "Well, I have to be getting to work."

"Bye, Zel," Malon said, drinking from her cup once more.

Away from Malon and Link, Zelda paused in the entrance hall, her hand on the knob of the front door. Then she did a 180 and walked up the main marble staircase. She hoped Malon wasn't pulling her leg. Indeed, once Zelda reached her daughter's bedroom, it was to find the girl very deeply asleep. Aware that she was throwing caution to the winds, Zelda sat down on the edge of the bed.

A different mother might have smiled at this sight: their impossibly cute little girl lying in bed, normally straight blonde hair scraggly and unkempt and catching the dim sunlight coming in through the Venetian blinds, and one arm clutching a stuffed animal dog. Yes, another mom might have smiled at this, but Zelda felt like crying.

She leaned over, brushed some hair out of Megan's face, and kissed her on the forehead. Not daring to linger, Zelda swiftly got to her feet. "Love you, honey," she whispered, more to herself than to Megan. After that, she didn't dare to stay a moment longer; she was already extremely late. Zelda hurried down the stairs and practically ran out the door. Trent, the family dog, tried to waylay her by the rose garden; she patted him on the head distractedly, then made a beeline for the car in the driveway.

Her red-headed friend watched her zoom off. "She said it was all right to paint your room today."

"Great," Link said, returning to his bowl of cereal. "Guess I'll go to the paint store as soon as Megan gets up."

"Oh yeah, she wanted to go along, didn't she?" Malon asked, smiling.

"Yup. You have any interest?" She laughed and crossed into the living room. Link grinned. "Come on, Mal, what else are you gonna do all day?"

"All right," Malon chuckled, sitting down on a couch. She picked up the photo album she'd abandoned yesterday. Link hesitated in the doorway, then went to sit down next to her.

"Whoa, who's that?" Link asked, his eyes wide.

"I'm assuming you mean the girl?" she asked, smirking.

The photograph Malon had opened to was of a couple: a boy with sandy brown hair and blue eyes, his arms around a beautiful girl with dark brown hair in a ponytail to the side, and dark brown eyes alight with happiness and arms around her knees, which had been pulled up to her chest. They were both looking up at the camera, smiling broadly. Link thought how deeply it contrasted with the painting of the Cleverly girls he'd seen. The caption read:

_Jack and Emily in Turtle Park, '99_.

"Jack is Zelda's half-brother," Malon explained. "Two years her senior. Emily is our age, and they hooked up when we were sophomores. They were one of the few couples I knew in high school who were actually seriously in love, and are, interestingly enough, still together today."

"Really?" Link asked with interest, wondering if he knew of any high school romances that hadn't died by now. "That's really cool." He said this in spite of a small twinge of jealousy towards Jack.

Malon made some sort of noise of agreement. Link thought he noticed a look of dislike on her face as she stared at the photograph. Not wanting to be directly blatant, he said, "Are you, er…okay?"

She sighed deeply, then smiled slightly. "Emily Hamilton and I were in the same basketball league growing up, and let me tell you she was the _star_. Never missed a hoop, never acted overly polite—like a lot of the other girls did—never fouled anybody… and _never_ screwed up a pass. She was just Jack's type."

Link detected a trace of bitterness in her tone. Then Malon seemed to come out of her reverie. "Zelda was in the league, too. A little…less skilled than Emily, a bit clumsy in the running exercises. But she stopped in eighth grade, because her mom said practices and games would get in the way of her studying."

"Sucks." Link was thinking that he would not like Zelda's mother very much. "How long did you and Emily play for?"

"We went the whole way, up 'til senior year." She paused, looking puzzled. "Come to think of it, Emily actually played through college, had a scholarship. I know she could have gone on to professional if she hadn't chosen to go into advertising." The red-head gave the smallest of scowls and turned the page. "Team picture," she said, pointing unnecessarily.

There was Malon, standing on the very end at the left, her red hair pulled back into a swift ponytail. Link's eyes scanned the photograph for the two other faces he knew he would recognize. It wasn't hard; Zelda and Emily, the two stars of the team. They were the only ones with their hair down, kneeling in the front by themselves with a basketball between them. Zelda's sleek blonde hair went down to her elbows, whereas Emily's (equally straight) stopped just below her shoulders.

"State Championship?" Link asked, looking at the banner behind the team.

"Yup," Malon said in a would-be casual voice, but with a hint of pride. "Our best year and best team."

And then Megan came into the room. "Good morning!" she greeted them enthusiastically, jumping onto Link's lap.

"Hiya, kiddo."

"Are we gonna paint your room today, Link?"

"Sounds good to me."

"YAAAY—"

"Let's go to the paint store!" Malon declared jubilantly, closing her book.

"—AAAA—"

"Megan, you're gonna pass out if you keep that up," Link advised her.

"—AAAAY okay."

Once again, they all piled into Link's pick-up truck.

"What's your favorite color, Link?" Megan asked.

"Green."

"Why?"

No one had asked him that before. "Uh, well…I guess because it's…the color of grass…. the color of trees, and emeralds."

"What're emeralds?" Megan asked.

"They're gems, stones. Real pretty. You know, like in _The Wizard of Oz_."

"What's that?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Haven't you ever seen _The Wizard of Oz_?"

"No…anyway, we should paint your room green, Link."

Five minutes later, they were at the paint store. Megan was ecstatic when she saw a hot pink color, but Link pointedly steered her towards the greens. She first found a bright neon, then a chalk-board color called "Fancy Free."

"The master of this _maison_ said nothing garish," Malon told him, skimming the pain samples. "What is it you're looking for, exactly?"

"Something muted," he replied. "Nothing too dark or too pastel."

"What about this one, Link?" Megan asked, pointing to a color.

"Forest green…" The name seemed to spark something in him. The color was dark, but not so dark that you might not think it was green. "This is it, Megs. Not too garish, is it, Mal?"

She smiled. "Not too garish."

After the purchase, Malon helped Link load the paint cans into the back of his truck. Megan was given the difficult task of carrying brushes. Once again she asked if she could sit in the open back, but once again Link felt disinclined to acquiesce her request.

"Link could we go to McDonald's for breakfast?" Megan asked. "Pleeeasee?"

"Hmm, I dunno," Link said, smiling. He gave Malon a sideways glance. "Malon, what do you think?"

"Oh please, Malon, please, please??" Megan pleaded rather pathetically.

Through her teeth, Malon said, "I hate to see a Cleverly grovel…" Then, in a louder, clearer voice, she said, "Why don't we, Link?"

"Looks like I'm outvoted," Link said, turning the wheel sharply. Lo and behold, they were in the McDonald's parking lot.

"Ya-hoo!"

"Goddesses, I haven't been to one of these in ages," Link said, locking the truck.

"Their hash browns aren't bad," Malon said, giving a noncommittal shrug. "I just remember being a kid and asking my parents to take me to McDonald's every day… and how sad I was when they always said no."

Link nodded sympathetically.

Just as they were near finishing their breakfast, it happened. Megan had to go to the bathroom (that's not really the "it" to which I was referring, but leads to the event). Malon got up to take her, leaving Link alone at the table, and _that's _when it happened.

A man with slightly graying hair turned away from the soda machine, nudged the woman beside him, and pointed to the table next to Link. The man Link immediately recognized as the Zelda-bashing Steve from the zoo yesterday. He looked worried.

"All right, Steve," the woman said, gently patting his arm. "What do you want to meet me for?"

"I just found out who your dead father and living sister's lawyer is," Steve said, his words slightly muffled because he saying them through his hands as he rubbed his face tiredly.

"All right, who?" the woman asked, trying not to sound bored.

Link thought he already had a fine idea who.

"Janet, she's, uh….someone pretty notorious."

"Go on, Steve, who? Judge Judy?"

"Listen, Janet, you need to take this seriously," Steve said, lowering his voice. "It's Zelda Cleverly."

Janet stifled a laugh. Her lawyer gave her a stunned look as if he couldn't believe what she was doing. "I'm sorry," she chuckled. "But…don't you think that's kind of a funny name?"

"I don't know," Steve replied, sounding annoyed. "All the Cleverlys are regarded as opponents to be feared, no matter _what_ their name is."

_You were singin' a different tune yesterday,_ Link thought. He saw Malon coming out of the bathroom, and quickly motioned for her to stay away. 'Stall,' he mouthed to her, jerking his head towards Steve as subtly as he could. Malon nodded and said to Megan in a loud voice that they should go to the Play Place. Not surprisingly, she took up on the offer at once.

"_All_ the Cleverlys?" Janet asked. She looked thoughtful. "Do you mean… as in… Clarissa Cleverly?"

"The very same," Steve answered. "The legendary non-fiction Billy Flynn. And her daughter's no different. Mind of someone twice her age." He leaned back in his chair, but not in a relaxed manner. "Has never lost a case."

Janet stared at him, looking tense for the first time. "But Steve, you're a good lawyer. And justice has to be on my side, it was my dad's cash, and now it belongs to me! It's mine, it's my right!"

"If only it was that simple," Steve sighed. "But you and I both know that's not the case. What Cleverly wants, she gets. She goes over the top for pretty much anything. I heard she just hired a bodyguard for her daughter."

At this, Link choked on his water. Bodyguard? Was she serious? A few people looked around at him in alarm, including…

"Honey, are you all right?" Janet asked concernedly.

Link forced his gaze upon her; he was red in the face. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, thanks. Just went down the wrong tube, I guess." They seemed to be wondering what he was doing sitting there alone with no food, so he hastily picked up an old newspaper by him and pretended to be reading it.

"She hired a bodyguard for her kid?" Janet asked, turning her attention back to Steve. "How old is the girl?"

"I dunno, seven or eight," Steve said. "Word on the street is that so far she's hired a string of unsatisfactory 'nannies,' and she's gone for someone tougher. Cleverly reduced her first nanny to tears."

Link raised an eyebrow. That was a bit of a freaky thought.

"Why do you know all this?" Janet asked, sounding doubtful.

"You gotta know your enemies, don't you?" Steve countered, not looking fazed by the question at all. "She doesn't know it, probably, but Cleverly's the most-talked about lawyer in the country."

There was a silence between the two of them. Link rubbed his nose and turned a page of the newspaper. The noise seemed to make Steve stiffen up.

"Fortunately, I've managed to dig up some old cases that might help our noble cause," he said, reaching a hand into his bag.

"Thank the Lord for Nancy Drew and Carolyn Keene, huh?" Janet said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Steve gave her a confused look, and it was at this time Link decided to leave. Tossing the newspaper into a trash bin, he walked into the Play Place. Malon saw him over her shoulder and called out to Megan. Just as he was sitting down next to Malon, Cleverly Jr. dashed up to him, red-faced.

"Oh Link, can we just stay for a few more minutes? Please?"

"Yeah, go ahead," he replied, waving his hand dismissively.

"_Yes!_" And she ran off.

"Let me guess," Malon said before Link could speak up. "The people sitting next to you were talking about someone near and dear to us both, weren't they."

Link turned a sigh into a laugh. "Well, I don't know about 'dear,' but if you mean your friend and my boss, then uh…yes. The man was one of the wise guys from the zoo."

"That's weird," Malon said, raising her eyebrow. "He a lawyer?"

"Yup, and he was with a client. Apparently he's worried, because Z—er, Ms. Cleverly is his, um…adversary."

"Oh, he's going down," Malon said, very matter-of-factly. "The Cleverly name usually means victory. Zelda's one of the most…geez, I just cannot think of the right adjective to use…"

"Brilliant, maybe? I've heard about three people say that."

"Guess it's liable," Malon said, smiling darkly. "You know how back in grammar, middle, and high school we'd do those mock court cases? In fifth grade, everyone's little speeches or whatever were all like, thirty seconds long, and Zelda goes up to do her bit… I swear, _ten_ minutes at the least."

Link whistled.

"I know. It put everyone on the 'jury' to sleep, except me, because I was trying to be a good friend and listen."

"Did she win?" Link asked.

"Yeah, of course," Malon snorted. "I remember, because our teacher kept going on and on about Zelda's ingenious tactics. Eventually, up 'til junior year, teachers were always pressured into putting her on the jury, because inevitably, whichever side Zelda was on won."

"You don't sound bitter at all," Link remarked sarcastically.

Malon made an amused sound and smirked. "It's just that Zelda was like… everybody's ideal. Teacher's pet, upperclassmen's darling, freshmen's idol, guys'… _fantasy girl_…"

Link raised his eyebrows. Malon seemed to realize what she'd said and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my Goddesses!" she gasped. "I really didn't mean to say that!"

"S'okay," Link assured her. _Fantasy? _He could not honestly say he found Zelda —um, Ms. Cleverly—unattractive. In fact he thought anybody who claimed that would be telling a down-right lie. It didn't take a genius in bifocals to tell Zelda Cleverly was absolutely gorgeous. The only thing was before now, Link had been determinedly seeing her through professional eyes only. Now he knew he was going to have trouble.

There had been an awkward silence, which Malon then decided to break. "You ever have a friend like that? One you felt overshadowed you, or… I dunno, was more popular than you?"

"Um…" How to answer this question. "This is gonna sound…well, I didn't have so much friends as I did a…uh, well this group of people who followed me around, so…"

"You mean like a gang?" Malon queried, reading between the lines.

"Well, I was trying to avoid using that word," Link said pointedly. "It usually tends to give people the wrong impression. We didn't go around stealing kids' lunch money, vandalizing walls, doing pot at lunch…we were just a group of guys who happened to dress a certain way and be labeled as outcasts."

"Oh," Malon said quietly. "I…I know how it feels to be given a label."

Link gazed thoughtfully at a statue of Ronald McDonald. "Maybe I shouldn't let on, though. Ole Steve thinks he heard Zelda Cleverly hired a bodyguard for her kid."

"A—" Malon burst out laughing. "Link, you _have_ to follow up on that one!"

"I—what?" Link asked, confused but smiling.

"Dress the part!" Malon said, looking ecstatic at the very idea. "You know, leather jacket, black jeans, dark sunglasses…that would be so awesome, wouldn't it?"

"I dunno, I'd feel kind of like a poser or something. I'm supposed to protect—no, not protect, look after—a lawyer's daughter, not the President's."

"But Link, consider: wouldn't you rather people said fearfully, 'There's that guy Zelda Cleverly hired to be her daughter's bodyguard' than 'Ha, ha, there's that chump of a loser Zelda Cleverly hired to her little girl's nanny'?"

Link had to ponder that one. He hadn't enjoyed the prospect of telling people he was a nanny, and Steve/Malon's idea provided a sensible scapegoat. A grin found its way onto his face and he laughed. "You know, I think I _will_ follow up on it."

Something had distracted Malon from verbalizing a reply. It appeared that Megan was attempting to drown a little boy in the arena of plastic balls.

"Megan!" they both cried, leaping to their feet.

The mini Cleverly lifted her head to look at them. "What—"

"GOTCHA!" shouted the boy, getting somewhat to his feet. He shoved her down into the sea of plastic balls.

"Hey, little dude, that wasn't cool!" Malon said.

"Nice disciplining," Link said, rolling his eyes.

"Thanks."

Unawares, Steve and Janet had run into the Play Place, the former looking furious. "Is that your kid?!" he spat at Link.

"Megan Katryn _Cleverly_, you get out here!" Malon said, embellishing the last name. Obediently, Megan came skipping out.

Relishing in the half-angry, half-horrified expression on Steve's face, Link turned his collar up and said, "Nope, I'm her bodyguard." And with that, the three of them made a very impressive exit.

MEANWHILE…

"Well as I live and try not to breathe, look who decided to get up this morning!"

Zelda had been trying to enter her office clandestinely, but most unfortunately for her, had been spotted by Schreiber. With a sigh, Zelda opened her door but didn't go in.

"Forgot to set the alarm," she said to Schreiber and a couple other people who had congregated at the spot.

"Of course you did," Schreiber giggled, in a voice that was doubtful but was clear she wouldn't delve into things. "You're lucky Dragmire isn't here; he'd go ballistic at seeing you so late."

"Dragmire's not here?" Zelda repeated. "Why not?"

"You know that rainstorm what happened last night? Two trees fell on his house," Schreiber said, looking as if she was trying to suppress a laugh. "Now come along, Zellie, you've missed a butt-load of work." She steered Zelda into her office, then closed the door behind the two of them. She started digging around in her bag for something.

"Um…weren't you just saying how much work I had to do?" Zelda asked.

"Not my exact words, but generally yes," Schreiber answered, pulling an extremely heavy-looking book from her bag. "I thought you might want to see this."

It was a high school yearbook.

Zelda gave a mirthless laugh. "You don't give up, do you."

"Go on, go on, it's like a mini-résumé," Schreiber said, opening up the book. "It's a means of research, right?"

"Uh, well…"

"Here," said Schreiber, showing the clubs section to Zelda. "He's on the bottom row of the picture on the top left, see?"

"The Hayao Miyazaki Fan Club?" Zelda read, raising an eyebrow. "That's… uh, unique." She squinted and looked at the caption, listing the club members' names. "You've outlined his name in pink. And drawn a heart next to it."

"Um, yeah, he was cute?" Schreiber said, as if this were blatantly obvious. She took the yearbook back from Zelda and started flipping through it again. She was going through the Senior pictures, and Zelda stopped her at the S's.

"Hold up there, Schreiber, I want to see your Senior quote." She cleared her throat. "'Eliza Schreiber.' Hm…Anne Frank…interesting."

"Why, what was _your_ quote?"

"Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche DuBois: 'I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.'"

"Only you," Schreiber sighed, turning to the V section. "Well, there you go."

Zelda felt her insides flip. She wasn't sure why, because she'd already seen how good-looking he was; there was just something about seeing him there, at age eighteen… he was beautiful.

"He looks….really familiar," Zelda murmured in a voice most unlike her own. "Strangely familiar…"

"Well, of course he does," Schreiber said, sounding exasperated. "I mean, you've just hired him."

"Oh, right, yeah," Zelda said, though she still had this odd, nagging feeling it was for another reason. She was now reading his quote: 'I coulda been a contender.' "Why is he quoting On The Waterfront?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, is it from a movie? None of us knew that! We just heard it was his way of spiting the principal one last time."

"Uh-huh…" She looked down at the rest of what he'd written. She stared. "What about his dad?"

"Huh?" Schreiber asked, peering at the picture.

Zelda put the book so that it was in a position from which they could both look at it. "He said, 'Thanks mom, I love you,' and doesn't mention his dad."

"Hmm…maybe they don't get along? Or maybe he died…"

"No, he's alive," Zelda assured her. "He's my neighbor, remember?"

"Right…"

The phone on Zelda's desk rang, and she hastened to go answer it. "Hello, this—"

"CLEVERLY!" boomed the voice from the other line so loudly that Schreiber could hear it and Zelda had immediately moved it to an arm's length away. The speaker continued to bark as if he and Zelda were on opposite ends of a football field: "If it wouldn't PAIN you too much to break up your little gossip section, would you mind asking Schreiber to GET HER SORRY OVER TO MY OFFICE?!" He hung up.

Still rather well-composed, Zelda gently put the phone back on its cradle and said calmly, "I think Mr. Wickham would appreciate a meeting with you."

"Ugh, I forgot," Schreiber groaned, hastily putting the yearbook back into her bag. "I was supposed to meet him five minutes ago to discuss Scheffler's financial standing." Then, with a bit of difficulty, she heaved the bag onto her shoulder. "If you ask me, not even _you_ could score a win for Scheffler, which is saying something."

"Don't think she has a prayer, do you?"

"No, but she was put up to it from her parents, who apparently think that she _does_ have a prayer. I think she had her hopes down from the start. That's second rate motivation, which means it's a second rate lawyer they're hiring."

"You're not a second rate lawyer and you know it, so you need to stop fishing for compliments, because it won't work," Zelda advised Schreiber as she shut the door. _Maybe now I can actually get some work done_. She got up and locked her door, then promptly chastised herself and picked up the phone.

Dialing, dialing. . .

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mido."

"…Zelda! To what do I owe this great pleasure?"

"I got to work late, I've got a lot of catching up to do, so I'm going to get straight to the point," Zelda said, very fast. "You went to high school with Link Vaughn, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Mido answered, sounding a little surprised. "Yes, I did. What, what's he gone and done?"

"Absolutely nothing, so you can drop that suspicious tone right now," Zelda said sharply, feeling as if she was reprimanding a teenager. "Megan really loves him. I just wanted you to give me your honest, unbiased opinion of what Link was like at school."

"Well, certain things have to be taken into account here," Mido said, choosing his words carefully. "I didn't know him for as long as our peers, because we went to different elementary and middle schools, and then he moved and was gone for sophomore and junior year."

"But he came back for senior year?"

"Yeah."

"That's weird," Zelda said, sounding puzzled. "Where'd he go?"

"Dunno. I still saw his parents around town, so I knew he hadn't moved. Just trying out another school, I guess. Maybe a private one." A second later, Mido added as a mental note that he doubted Link's parents would be able to afford that.

"What else do you remember about him?"

Letting out a reminiscent sigh, Mido thought about how best to reply. "Well, one thing for sure was that Link wasn't afraid to stick up for himself, or for what he believed in…I remember he was in my health class, and no matter how much the other guys teased him, he'd always remain an advocate for anti-smoking and drugs. Oh, and I can also recall that he was pro-abstinence."

"Really…" Zelda said, her interest piqued. "And did people believe him?"

"I don't think everybody did, but the majority, yeah." Mido's voice turned colder. "In fact, a lot of girls seemed to think it was pretty sexy. This one kid Eliza Schreiber said she broke up with her boyfriend because he didn't treat her the way she thought _another_ guy would, if you catch my drift."

"She named him?"

"No. I don't think Link ever even knew how well-liked he was."

Zelda cleared her throat. "Uh…you _do_ know that Eliza Schreiber is one of my co-workers, right?"

He gasped. "What?" Whoa, I had no idea…that is really weird."

"Yeah. Well anyway, I'd love to continue this nice little chat, but I'm afraid I've much too much work to do. Thanks for the insights, Mido."

"Any time. Bye."

"Bye." She hung up the phone, stared into space for a few moments, then began reading all the information she had dug up on Janet Topham.

**&-**

**A/N**: I felt bad for not including much L/Z-ness in this chapter, but I guess when I was writing this story I wanted the suspense to build up. There's probably some parts it could do without, but I like writing about the small details of life here. Sorry if this chapter was just more crap, ha ha.


	7. Boxers or Briefs?

There was a knock on Zelda's door. "Come in," she said wearily.

The door opened with a bang that was so loud it startled the reserved lawyer into snapping her head up. "…Link?" It had taken her a minute to recognize him because while he looked (physically) like the man she had recently hired, he was dressed like a high school kid. Or, to be more specific, like he had in those pictures Schreiber had shown Zelda from their yearbook.

"What's happening, Z?" he asked, strolling into the room after closing the door with another loud bang.

"Uh…Link, I don't believe I was expecting you," Zelda said in a calm voice, glancing at her calendar and wondering if she had scheduled a consultation with him and forgotten about it. "Was I?" She added that second bit to herself, muttering under her breath but Link seemed to have heard it.

"Nah, babe, you don't have me on your calendar!" Link said, picking up the thing and giving it a carefree toss to the floor (Zelda looked scandalized). "As per your phone call the other night, I've come without scheduling an appointment."

"What?" Zelda asked, trying to figure out what it was he had just said. "Link, where's Megan?"

"Relax, Z, relax, she's in good hands."

"Stop calling me 'Z!' And no, I will not relax, I'm…" Slowly it dawned on her that there was nothing really to worry about, because this had to be a dream. Why else would Link have come to her office at this hour, dressed like a punk from _Saved By the Bell_? How else could he have so nonchalantly strolled in here without her daughter, for whom he was being paid rather well to watch? This was annoying. She had no time for dreams. "All right, dream Link, thanks. Feel free to walk back on out that door, now."

"I think you meant dream_y_, you know, with a 'y,' not dream," Link said, settling himself Indian-style on her desk. "But that's okay." Nodding at the wall behind Zelda he said, "Wow, that's a lot of degrees you got here."

"Yes, well, I am a lawyer," Zelda responded. "It took a lot of degrees to get me where I am today."

"A lawyer, huh?" Link asked with a wolfish grin that Zelda wouldn't have normally associated with him. "So uh, what do you prefer, boxers or briefs?"

"Are you serious?"

"Which do you think I'm wearing?"

"Dream Link, that is so not appropriate!" she said, although cracking up on the inside.

"Do you wanna see?" Link asked her, sounding as if it was a serious suggestion. "We could bring in some serious other kinds of degrees in here, different from the ones you've got hanging on that wall in their nice little frames!"

"Some...what?"

"Other degrees! …you know, like, Fahrenheit and all that. Come on, Z. You're way behind, here."

"Sorry, it's just I'm a bit behind in work and I would really appreciate it if you'd, you know, go away so I can wake up."

"Wake up?" Link asked, looking puzzled. He shifted his sunglasses (which had been pushed to the bottom of his nose so he could look over them) up into his mass of dirty blonde hair so they rested atop his head. His eyebrows were raised. "Wake up from what, Z? You trippin' or something?"

"No, I am not tripping. I'm dreaming."

"Dreaming?" Link laughed. "Come on, man." Then, quite without warning, he leapt off of the desk and onto Zelda's chair. He gripped the arms of it tightly and had his knees on the seat on either side of Zelda's previously crossed legs. His face was but mere inches away from hers. "You think you're dreaming?"

"Yes," she replied, because if it wasn't she knew she'd be screaming her head off for help right about now. Or maybe she wouldn't …there was something gentle about the way Link had asked the question, and even though there had been a hint of lasciviousness to it, it hadn't been in a creepy way.

"If you were dreaming," Link said softly, "would you be able to feel this?"

For one heart-stopping moment, Zelda had been sure he was going to kiss her. But instead he just placed one hand on her cheek, slowly moving it up to her hair. There was the shadow of a smirk on Link's face. "Wow, Z. You haven't blinked in like, thirty seconds. That's a skill, right there."

"Yeah…" Zelda whispered, staring (unblinkingly) back into Link's eyes. "Yeah, I'm beast at blinking contests. Hey—I know this is going to sound really off-subject but I swear, there is something annoyingly _familiar _about you…"

"We didn't go to high school together, if that's what you're thinking," Link chuckled. "Because I would definitely have remembered someone as hot as you. Plus you would have remembered my talent for mimicking telephone rings and you would've asked me to do it for you by now."

"Your what?" Zelda asked vaguely, seriously trying to remember where she had seen Link before.

He opened his mouth and a shrill ringing sound came out of it, causing Zelda to jump once more. "Whoa," she muttered. "You're right, that's amazing. You sound just like a telephone!"

It took her only a few more seconds to realize that this was because her phone was actually ringing. She woke in a start from her dream, and dazedly tried to locate her telephone. Despite the fact that she was no longer pinioned in her chair and she was alone, the office now felt much stuffier than it had in her dream.

"Hello?" she asked drowsily when she finally picked up the phone.

"Yo! I tried your cell but you didn't pick up, and so then I had to call you at work even though I hate doing that because your secretary's accent is so thick and I—"

"Malon, hi," Zelda yawned. "What is it?"

"Oh!" Malon said brightly. "I just called to let you know that we've just finished painting the room."

"The…the room? Painting? What?"

"Link's room," Malon said slowly. "Remember, you told us we could paint it?"

"Oh, right…yeah. Wow, that must've been fast. That's great."

"Zelda, are you okay? You sound like…wasted."

"I'm fine, Malon, I'm just a little tired," Zelda responded, a tad perturbed at Malon's choice of words. "I guess I didn't sleep so well last night, I've just been having these weird dreams …anyway, how's Link and er, Megan? Is everything all right over there, the place hasn't burned down?"

"Actually, that's the other reason I'm calling," Malon said. "We managed to finish painting the room, but I think the paint fumes must've gone to Link's head because just after we finished, he went insane and burned down your entire house."

"Ha, ha."

"Well, you asked."

"That's what I get, I guess. Listen, I'll see you later, I've got a lot of work to catch up on. Don't forget Megan's piano lesson at half past five today, there's a check by the front door. And try not to let Saria scare Link too much, okay?"

"Word, Z."

"Did you just call me Z?"

"Yeah, remember, that was your basketball nickname!"

"Huh…very original. What was yours?"

"…M."

"Wow, we have to come up with better nicknames sometime. Would you get on that while I get back to the Topham case?"

"Why, I would love to. Bye, Z."

"Ciao, M."

At approximately 5:29 p.m.

"That'll be Saria," Malon said when the doorbell rang. "I'll go let her in."

"You know her?" Link asked, following Malon into the entrance hall.

"Oh yes. Our grandmothers are poker pals, and we've often been forced to come along on their little card playing adventures. Complaining about the elderly and their weird habits has been an incredible bonding experience. I'll introduce you."

"Cool."

Malon opened the door and, true to Megan's word (Link was surprised), a young woman with green hair stood in front of them. "Hello!"

"Hey, Saria," Malon said, opening the door wider so she could step in. "I'm sure your curious about why I'm here—I'm an old friend of Zelda's, and she has kindly opened her home to me for a short while."

"Oh, that's nice," Saria said, putting her bag down. Before she could inquire about Link, he held out his hand and shook hers, saying, "Hi, I'm Link Vaughn. Miss Cleverly's hired me as her daughter's new bodyguard."

"Dropped Katie, huh?" Saria asked, grinning. "I'm glad—she was always a bit of a twit. Where's Megan?"

"Oh, she's outside, I'll go get her." Link turned and headed for the glass doors in the living room.

Saria watched him leave. She paused, then turned to Malon. "Zelda hired him?"

"Yup."

"She hired him."

"Yes."

"He is cute. Zelda into him?"

Malon snorted a laugh. "Ha! Yeah right. I would highly doubt it, Saria. She hasn't been interested in a guy since she divorced her husband."

"How long ago was that?"

"Oh…" Malon distractedly scratched her head as she tried to remember. "I think about five, five and a half years."

"Whoa." Saria whistled. "That's a long time to be away from hav…from love."

The tone gave her away. "Come off it, Saria," Malon said. "She was in a really bad relationship. Just because _some_ people are nymphomaniacs—"

"Excuse me!" Saria gasped. "Are you calling me a nymphomaniac?!"

"Aren't you the one who was nicknamed Nymphadora by her grandmother?"

"That's not what she meant, you perv—"

"SH, they're coming back."

"Hi, Saria," Megan said, looking shy.

"Uh-oh!" Saria said ruefully. "That looks to me like the face of somebody who hasn't practiced this week!"

"I did, too!" Megan piped up immediately. "Just…not as much as usual."

"We shall see," Saria told her, not unkindly. "Your hands are filthy, dear, what have you been doing? Go and wash them before we start; I doubt it would be appreciated if there was dirt on those keys! I'll be waiting for you in the…room…with the piano."

"Nice one, Nymphadora," Malon muttered through her teeth as Megan dashed off to the bathroom.

"Shut up, cowgirl," Saria shot back, bumping her slightly as she went by.

Link raised an eyebrow and his gaze turned to the room on the other side of the hall. Though he was pretty sure what would happen, he walked towards it and tried the doors. Like he had expected, they were still locked. Other than Megan and Saria talking, the only sound was an odd ringing in his ears.

"Don't suppose you know what's in here, do you?" he asked Malon.

She joined him by the doors and needlessly tried the handle. "Locked, huh? Hm… my guess is that this would be the room containing Zelda's infamous art gallery."

"Her what?" Link queried, staring so hard at the doors it looked as if he was trying to X-ray them.

"She went to an auction several years ago," Malon said. "She's extremely possessive of her works, so my guess is that she's locked them up in this room."

"Why, are they valuable?" Link pushed her, now looking at her.

"I would definitely say it's safe to assume that," Malon assured him.

"Like a Picasso or something?"

Turned her back to the door, Malon laughed sourly. "No way, José. I'll bet you anything it's an O'Keefe or Cassat." She paused. "No, less likely a Cassat. Anyway, I highly doubt it was a man's."

"Why?"

"Her mother. Mind if I get a drink while we talk?"

"No." Link followed her into the kitchen. It seemed no longer that Zelda's mother's control issue was a figment of his imagination. "What's the deal with that woman, anyhow?"

"Oh, I dunno, I guess she just really had a thing for flowers and animal bones and stuff, all blown up to—"

"Wait, who are you talking about?" Link asked, confused.

"Georgia O'Keefe…who are _you_ talking about?"

"Miss Cleverly's mother…"

"Oh!" Malon laughed. "You got me on a rant about O'Keefe!...So wait, what did you want to ask me about Mrs. Cleverly?"

It felt slightly more uncomfortable asking a second time. "Well, it just that it sort of seems like… I mean, with all the stuff you've told me about her, she seems a little…"

"Bit like a control freak?" Malon offered, smirking. "Yeah. Her kids almost never had a peaceful moment. She was like this hawk, who'd peck you to death if you put one toe out of line." Laughing, she heaved herself up on the counter with a Coke can in her hand. "I remember this one time I was sleeping over at Zelda's, and we were about ten or eleven years old. Anyway, we were in her room and the lights were off—"

"So basically, you were pretending to be asleep," Link said, smiling, "but you were awake, talking."

"Exactly. Anyway, I have _no_ idea what time it was, but it was pretty late…and all of a sudden, we saw the hall light go on. We'd shut the door, but could see it through the crack underneath, you know? Anyway, from what we gathered, Terra and Jack—her half-siblings, remember—had gone to see their dad's grave without their mom's permission." Malon frowned, remembering. "Actually, she had blatantly told them earlier that day they couldn't go."

"But they did anyway?" Link asked quietly. He fiddled awkwardly with a dish towel. "How old were they?"

"Well, let me see…Jack would've been like twelve, and Terra six- or seventeen." Malon whistled. "Boy, she was really mad. Whether they like it or not, most of the girls inherited their beloved mother's temper. Terra's usually very quiet and agreeable, but that night she really lost it. Kept going on about how this was the anniversary of his death, they hadn't seen his grave or put flowers on it in ages, and why was she, Mrs. Cleverly, being so selfish and crazy about it…and then Clarissa—or Mrs. Cleverly—got into it, and said she'd never heard of such an ungrateful daughter, how she'd been waiting up sick with worry, and then Terra called her a liar…" Malon hesitated, looking almost as if she was going to be ill. "I remember Zelda crying, and Jack crying, and Terra getting grounded for about five months."

Link had to wonder why she was telling him all this. He didn't mind, but had hardly known her for two days and he felt like she shouldn't be digging this deep into her history around him. He just sincerely hoped Malon wouldn't burst into tears, because that's what it looked like she was about to do; but she only inhaled deeply and put a hand on her chest before continuing.

"Wow, I…I've never told anyone about that before," Malon told him, shuddering. "I mean, not like it was life changing or something that's scarred me permanently, but… it just felt really good to finally get it out of my system." She smiled apologetically. "That's what you get for starting me rambling. Thanks for listening."

"Any time," Link said honestly.

"Be aware, that I might actually take you up on that," Malon warned him. "Gosh, it's been years since I thought of that night. I haven't even talked to Zelda about it since."

"What would she say if you did?" Link heard himself asking.

Malon lifted her nearly forgotten Coke can and replied, "She'd have said she was ashamed she cried." Then she swiftly took a swig of soda and subsequently coughed. "Flat," she sighed. "I lose more drinks that way…"

There was a lull in their conversation. The sounds of piano playing reached the kitchen. It was fast and sounded like it was in a minor key. Link raised his eyebrows. "Is that her teacher, or is Megan the next Mozart prodigy child?"

Feeling more at ease, Malon laughed. "That's Saria. It's her signature piece."

"It's beautiful," Link murmured after hearing a few moments more. "What's it called, do you know?"

"Well, the old people only made her play it about five hundred times during their poker games, so yeah—it's called 'River of Broken Glass' by Kimberly Quinn."

"Never heard of it."

"No one has."

"It's sad," Link decided. "But at the same time, not too dramatic. Beautifully tragic, sort of. If that makes sense."

"Yeah, it's true," Malon agreed. "So I have no idea why the old people liked hearing it during their card games. But then, Saria's a regular Juke Box, she can play just about anything. She likes jazz, does Gershwin real good."

"So if Saria was their deejay, so to speak, what did you do?"

"I did the Charleston on top of her piano for spare change."

Pretty sure it was safe to assume she was joking, Link let out a laugh. "Wow. Bet they loved that."

"Oh they did."

"Do you play anything? Like, any instruments?"

"Nah, not anymore," Malon snorted, sounding both amused and bitter. "I did—what else?—piano 'til I was sixteen and got bored of it, so I stopped practicing, and my teacher told my dad it was a waste of money for me to go on if I didn't practice. So then I tried my hand at the flute for a year, and then the harp, because Zelda was so good at it."

"She played the harp?" Link asked, looking surprised and impressed.

"Plays," Malon corrected him. "I'm sure it's around here somewhere."

"I didn't know people still played the harp," Link said. "Except for little eighty-year old ladies in black-tie concerts."

Malon laughed. "Yeah. She made it look so easy…anyway, what do you play?"

He didn't answer for a moment, because he was listening to the evident difference of Saria playing "Rhapsody In Blue" to Megan's "Hot Cross Buns" (one a penny, two a penny!). Link cleared his throat. "I can play a trap set pretty well—drums, y'know. I had a band in junior high called Chelsea's Peers, because our lead guitarist was named Chelsea." He saw the slightly confused look on Malon's face. "It could be a New York thing," he explained. "There was a Chelsea Pier in the city…pier, peer, ya know…yeah, but anyhow we split after freshman year."

"What for?"

Link fumbled for a moment over how to answer the question. "We were all kind of going in different directions, musically. Didn't mesh anymore. I still play drums, but then I picked up the ocarina."

"What is that?" Malon asked curiously. "I don't think I've ever heard of one."

"It's uh, it's…uh…"

"Hard to explain?" Malon finished for him.

"Yeah," Link chuckled. "It sounds kind of like a pan flute mixed with a recorder, and looks…well, it's harder to explain how it looks."

"You should show me one some time, huh?"

"I bet my old one is at my parents' house. If I ever find it, you'll be the first to know. How's that?"

Malon smiled at him. "Loverly."

The phone rang, making them both jump. Malon instinctively reached it first. "Hello, this is the Cleverly residence….oh, Zelda, hi!"

"Hey, Mal. Could you do me a favor and pass along a message?"

"Yeah sure, no problem. Shoot."

"I expect I'll be home in an hour or so, and I could really use a good night off of work. So saying, tell Link the place we're going isn't totally casual, but isn't suit-and-tie either. No graphic tees or jeans, you know? But anyway, tell him I'll be there around seven to pick him up and to _please_ not be worried or scared."

"Remembering the old Buckley incident, eh?" Malon snickered.

"I still can't believe she fainted before we even got to the restaurant."

"Maybe some people find you a little intimidating, Zellie-poo."

"Maybe some people are a little stupid, Mellie…poo? Wow. So you'll watch Megan for me while we're gone, right?"

"Of course. Not a problem."

"Great, I'll see you in a while; thanks a lot, Malon."

"You're welcome! Bye." She hung up the phone. "Well, Link, are you excited? Your job interview is going to be taking place this very evening, within the hour!"

"It is?" Link asked, sounding startled. "Wow, I…okay."

"You should probably change out of that Ramones shirt, though," Malon advised him. "Zelda's taking you to some semi-formal place. Do you have any shirts that are like, one straight color?"

"Yeah, I guess I'll go change into it now."

"Fabulous." As Link trooped up the stairs, Malon wandered back to the main hall. She pressed her ear to the locked doors as if to hear some kind of animal inside. She heard nothing but Megan's fingers hitting the keys in the room opposite. Slowly she turned and went into said room which held the source of the noise. Megan slowed her playing, and hit the final chord. Saria and Malon winced—it was the wrong one. Quickly fixing her mistake, Megan got a "very good" from her teacher.

"Well, I think that's all for this week," Saria decided, glancing at the clock. "You did pretty well, Megs, just work on exercise number five and the D scale for next time."

"Okay."

"And I'm putting you down for the recital at the end of the summer, right? Greensleeves?"

"Yeah," Megan sighed.

Saria stopped fiddling her purse and looked over at Megan. She smiled kindly at her. "If it's too hard you can play something else, okay?"

"'Kay." She started playing a scale. "Bye."

Saria laughed. "Bye." She stopped by Malon on her way out. "That mother of hers, I swear. She's making her play something way above her level."

"'Making' her?" Malon asked skeptically.

Rolling her eyes, Saria heaved a sigh. "Well, not technically, but she's cajoled her into it. Lord knows why, but Megan would do just about anything for that woman. I wouldn't even say she'd stop at walking through fire."

"Saria," Malon said, following her to the front door. "I can…understand where you're coming from and all, but you have to appreciate Zelda's history. She's had a rough life, and she really isn't as bad a person as she's made out to be."

"I guess I should've known that," Saria said, hitching her bag onto her shoulder. "From what I've heard about her father, Megan must've gotten that sweetness from _some_ where. See you around, Malon."

"Bye." When Saria was about halfway down the walk, Malon called after her, "Okay, so where _does_ Nymphadora come from?"

Laughing and turning back to face her, Saria ran a hand through her green hair. "Wood nymph," she said. "I used to love climbing trees."

**&-**

**A/N**: Sorry, I know what you're thinking! Not enough fluff, or even l/z-ness at all. But don't worry, the next chapter will be detailing their little night on the town and there'll be some good stuff there… in fact, I'm feeling in a good mood today so here's **a teaser **of what is to come next!:

Back at the table, Zelda idly stirred her Shirley Temple with her straw. Looking around at all the tables, she saw Schreiber with her husband Michael; the former caught Zelda's eye and waved.

"Hey, honey, you here alone?"

Zelda turned and saw the speaker was one of the lewd-looking, bald, old guy with a very poorly coordinated outfit. He had a lopsided grin on his face and a rather ugly 5 o'clock shadow.

"Actually, no," she replied coolly. "As you apparently did not notice, there is a table setting across from me which, if you are able to put two and two together, would imply that I am _not_ here alone."

"Well then, where's your friend?" the man asked, seeming unfazed by this new information. "Is she on a trip to the ladies' room? I see she's finished her drink…and I see that _you_ are having a Shirley Temple. Now that ain't no drink! No alcohol at all!"

"That's the idea."

"Don't drink, huh? Doesn't look like your lady friend does either—"

Not knowing what on earth was possessing her to use such an incredibly old-fashioned scapegoat, Zelda said, "I'm here with a man, actually."

The fellow swayed a little but recovered and acted like she hadn't spoken. "Those are pretty nice stems you got—"

"Excuse me," said a lower voice behind the man. Zelda flushed with relief to see Link standing there, looking dark and holding the stranger's shoulder in a vise grip. "You're in my way." He caught the eye of a waiter and pushed the tipsy man towards him, looking disgusted.

As he sat down, Zelda quickly tried to end the little battle going on inside her head. Her first idea that had entered her mind was that what Link had done was romantic and considerate. Then another, colder voice thought it chauvinistic and geez, didn't he think she could take care of herself? He asked John for a refill, and Zelda thought, _Don't be rude, be nice—let him feel appreciated—ha, ha, this is putting me back in control—_

Trying not to appear worried that she might be schizophrenic, Zelda said, "Uh, thanks for… doing that. Guys like him really get to me." They got to her? Of course they did, who _wouldn't _they get to? Geez, she sounded like an idiot.

"No problem," Link said gruffly. "Sorry if he bothered you."

**A/N**: Well, I'm trying. And don't worry, the next update will come much sooner than this one did! (Sorry!)


	8. Take Me Out

**A/N**: This chapter's a bit long, but I couldn't bring myself to make any cuts! Here is the dramatic night out betwixt Zelda and her new employee...

**&-**

True to her word, Zelda arrived back at her home around seven. She opened the front door and the first thing Malon said was, "Whoa, you look beat."

"Do I?" Zelda asked rhetorically. She rubbed her eyes and set down her bag. "I'll be right back. I need to cover up these hideous bags under my eyes."

"Cool." Malon followed Zelda through the kitchen. When the former came to an abrupt stop, the red-head nearly bumped into her.

Zelda had stopped by Malon's open photo album. It was open on a picture of her sister Deborah giving her a bear hug. Her fingers slowly traced the grin of her sister, broad and opened wide in laughter. Zelda thought of Schreiber as a small smile briefly appeared on her own face, only to vanish as soon as it had come. Thoughtlessly she closed the book and kept walking towards her room. She suddenly turned swiftly on the spot, catching her friend by surprise.

"Why are you following me?" Zelda asked inquisitively.

"Uh, no reason," Malon said, shrugging. "Just kind of wanted to see what your room looked like, is all."

"I'd rather you didn't," Zelda said frankly, looking as if it pained her to have to say it. Her hand was on the doorknob, though she didn't seem to be making any movements indicating she'd be opening it any time soon.

"Oh, okay," Malon said, masking her surprise/confusion. "I'll just uh, yeah…" Zelda was staring at her, tacitly telling her to leave or turn around. Raising an eyebrow, Malon slowly turned on the spot and walked back towards the kitchen. Stopping at the counter, she heard a door close.

_Maybe Saria is right_, she thought to herself. _Zelda seems a little off…_ Flipping hastily through her album, Malon found the photograph her friend had been so fondly gazing at a moment ago: both girls seemed to be laughing, the older one hugging the baby of the family from behind. They were also both holding water guns; Zelda's was in danger of falling out of her hand, her sister's pointed jokingly at Zelda's temple.

_Deb and Zelda at my 16__th__ Birthday Party_.

Deborah's ponytail was starting to come out, as the strands flying in a curve around her face proved. She wore a black bathing suit with sopping wet cargoes over it. Zelda's blonde mane, half-dry and half-wet, went down to nearly her waist. She hadn't been as ready to get wet as her sister it seemed, because Zelda was wearing a white (oops!) T-shirt under classic '90s denim overalls, one of the straps of which was hanging provocatively off her shoulder.

Frowning, Malon looked back at the closed door behind which Zelda had disappeared a moment ago. She tried to picture Zelda wearing overalls, or being in a water gun fight, or laughing so hard it pushed her to tears. No image came up in Malon's mind. Why not? Sighing, she shut the book. All this business of going down memory lane was getting depressing.

A couple moments later, Zelda returned to the kitchen. She was dressed in a knee-length black skirt and a white button-up blouse with ¾ length sleeves. Her face she'd given a small make-up job and all her loose hairs had been combed into place. A muted red color adorned her almond-shaped fingernails.

"You look very nice," Malon said politely.

"Well, I try," Zelda said with a sardonic air of indifference, straightening her ironed blouse needlessly. "So. Where is he, Mal?"

She looked lost for a moment. Then she shook her head of red hair and replied, "In the piano room, last I saw." Automatically she started walking in that direction, and Zelda followed suit.

"So what's in this room, anyway?" Malon asked, nodding at the locked doors. "Trying to hide some big secret, Zelda? What's inside?"

"Nothing," the blonde replied. "Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies."

"Uh-huh…" Malon cleared her throat and raised her voice. "Hey Link, play time's over, pal."

Link, who had been twirling a pair of xylophone sticks for Megan's amusement, quickly straightened. "Oh, right, sorry—evening, Ms. Cleverly."

"Hi, mom!" Megan cried.

"Hello," came the response.

As the two of them began to tidy up the room a tad, Malon turned to Zelda and muttered, "I kind of like him, you know. So for my sake, try to lay off him and not scare him too much, okay?"

"Oh, I'll be especially obsequious," Zelda mocked her, hitching a purse onto her shoulder. "Goddesses, Malon, I'll bring him back in one piece. Stop worrying."

Folding her arms and sighing, Malon said, "Okay, okay." She put on a smile as Link and Malon finally came out of the room. "Well, Link, don't you look nice."

He raised his eyebrows. "Uh, thanks?"

"Mommy," Megan said, tugging Zelda's hand. "Mommy, would you read to me?"

Slowly, Zelda withdrew her hand. "Sorry, honey, but I have extremely important business to attend to…concerning your new friend over here."

Megan looked from her mother to Link. "Oh! Why, is he in trouble?"

"No, no, he isn't in trouble," Zelda said, as Malon hastily turned a laugh into a hacking cough.

"Good, 'cause he shouldn't be. Link is awesome!"

"Well, recommendations don't come much better than that," Malon said, Zelda nodding in agreement.

"I think you'll be asleep when I get home," Zelda remarked. She turned to Malon. "She should be getting in bed within the hour, all right?"

"Yup."

"Mom, no, I want to stay up 'til you get home," Malon said, sticking out her lower lip sadly.

"No, Megan," Zelda said in a firm tone, putting her hands on her hips so the girl wouldn't reach for one of them again. "And I don't want you to give Malon any trouble while we're gone, okay? Go to bed when she says."

"Fine," Megan grumbled, folding her arms and looking sullen.

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink," Malon said in an undertone to Zelda as the blonde nodded Link towards the door.

"Watch me lead this horse," Zelda muttered back with a smirk, following Link outside. Shutting the door, she said, "Night."

Having waited for her on the doormat, Link walked in Zelda's wake as they went towards her Lexus. As she got into the car, Link hurriedly attempted to flatten his hair. Stepping into the vehicle, he inhaled a little deeply—he almost didn't let it out, because he was afraid his breath was too dirty for the car's air.

It was immaculately clean to the point that made Link wonder if either its owner was a germaphobe or if she had just bought the car this very afternoon. Not a speck of dirt, blade of grass, even the tiniest piece of gravel seemed to intrude on the perfect cleanliness of the car. As they pulled out of the driveway, Link also took note of the windows, how not one square inch seemed dirtied in any way.

"Sorry if my obsessive cleaning bothers you," said Zelda, who had been watching him inspect the interior of her car. She adjusted her rear view mirror slightly and pulled out of the driveway. "It's just that this is one of the few places where I am almost always alone, and I don't care for cluttered areas."

"Oh, yeah, I understand," Link said casually, trying to remember the last time he had bothered to clean his truck. Hoping he didn't come off as sounding sarcastic, he added, "Makes perfect sense."

"I really wanted to thank you for picking up this job so quickly," Zelda went on after a short silence. "I really appreciate it."

"Hey, right back at ya," Link said amiably, staring straight in front of them. "I really, _really_ needed this job."

"Megan seems to like you. I'll tell you right now that already you're doing quite well, considering that girl's standards."

He wasn't sure how he was supposed to reply to that. "Oh, um…cool. I like her, she's loads better than other kids I've had to watch after."

Hearing this surprised her, he could tell. Zelda did not say anything, but the contracting eyebrows and small lump that seemed to have formed in her throat said it all without words. She made a turn near a street lamp, and Link stole a glance to see her face briefly illuminated; he saw snitches of weariness, sadness, and a heavy gravity.

"How about my friend Malon?" Zelda asked abruptly. "Has she been more of a hindrance than a help, or just a presence?" Something of a lame question, but Zelda had felt a foreign intuition that the status of her self-confidence had been falling. She had to get back on top, had to prove to Link she was always on the ball.

"Oh, she's been great, really great," Link replied right away. "She's…been nice to have around, actually. Helped to get my room painted."

"Really? So you got that taken care of today, then?"

"Yeah, we started fairly early in the morning," Link answered, beginning to feel less tense. "Megan and Malon both accompanied me to the paint store, and we settled on a nice green color."

"Green, what shade?" She chastised herself the moment after she said it because of the suspicious sharpness that had been unintentionally planted in her voice.

The edge of nervousness in his responding tone told her that he had (somewhat unfortunately) picked up on this, too. "Well, it's, you know…a muted sort of forest green color. Not really like, bright or intense or anything…it's a low value…"

"Sounds quite lovely," Zelda replied, less hard but not softly. "I can be sort of tyrannical when it comes to paint colors, but it sounds as if you have good taste."

The awkwardness of the weird subject was thankfully lifted when Zelda pulled into the restaurant's parking lot. Silently the two of them got out of the car and walked towards the door. Before they could go in, however, a voice rang out calling to them.

"Hey, Zelda!" Schreiber shouted, running up to them. "What's up?"

"Hey, Eliza," Zelda said, noting the excited glint in her eyes and full aware of what it was there for.

"Link Vaughn, oh my gosh!" Eliza cried, pulling a surprised expression. "It has been AGES!"

She shook his hand, and Link gave her a very confused stare. Then something clicked, and he smiled apprehensively. "Eliza Schreiber, wow! I haven't seen you in years, ever since high school!"

A pinkish glow came onto Eliza's cheeks, and Zelda could tell it wasn't makeup. "My goodness, what the heck are ya doin' way out here?"

Putting his hands in his pockets, Link said, "Well, I was…I guess I was just looking for a change of scenery, and my parents live out here, so I thought what they hey, you know? I was kind of looking for a job, and uh, Ms. Cleverly lives right next to my parents and employed me."

"Wow, that's fantastic!" Schreiber said enthusiastically. "Zelda and I work at the same firm, actually."

"So you finally fulfilled your fondest dream of becoming a top-rate lawyer, huh?"

"Lawyer yes, top-rate, no," Schreiber told him ruefully but with a pleasant smile. "I'm afraid _that_ title would belong to your boss over there."

"Thanks for the flattery, Eliza," Zelda said, sounding unemotional. "What're you doing here anyway, meeting someone?"

"Yup, my hot date," Schreiber replied, giving the last word special enunciation. "A.k.a. my husband. Oops, there he is now." She raised her voice and waved. "Hey, Michael, over here!"

"Eliza, hi!" he called back, walking over.

"Well, have fun," Zelda said. "See you around."

"Yeah—hey, Link, it was great seeing you again! Maybe we'll bump into each other some other time!"

"Sure, yeah, that would be cool," Link agreed, shaking her hand once more. "Nice to see you." He pondered the randomness of seeing her as he followed Zelda into the restaurant and numbly to their booth.

"Funny, isn't it, that you both ended up way out here," Zelda said as she sat down, not looking very amused or inquisitive.

"Yeah, weird," Link snorted. "I haven't seen Eliza Schreiber in, like, six or seven years. Wow, and she's married! But it makes sense that she'd come to another big city if she moved away from New York."

"Girl with big ambitions, huh?" Zelda asked, scanning the menu even though she already knew what she wanted.

"Very big," Link confirmed, nodding and opening his own menu. He sighed. "Oh, she was a popular one, that Eliza Schreiber."

"That doesn't surprise me," Zelda said, still looking at her menu as if using it merely to keep her eyes busy. "She's a very straight-forward, uncompromising, outgoing kind of kid. Which is why she makes a great lawyer."

Thinking it was a bit rich (and maybe pretentious) of Zelda to call someone roughly her own age a "kid," Link said, "I'm sure that's true. I know she was a fantastic student. Where did you go to high school?"

"Oh, just around here," Zelda answered, closing her menu. "I was brought up solely in California; went to high school in North Hollywood."

"Hollywood? Wow, that's awesome!"

With an air of indifference, Zelda shrugged. "It was fairly interesting, I suppose you could say."

"Yeah, fairly more interesting than a small town suburban area in New York," Link snorted, a little miffed by his boss's lack of enthusiasm, something he was beginning to take for pig-headedness.

"I used to spend a lot of time cruising Lacieniga Boulevard," she said kind of randomly, like she was having an odd flashback.

"How about Sunset?" Link asked in spite of himself.

"No, not as much, actually. I don't know why. Maybe in my subconscious I was thinking of that Gloria Swanson movie and it scared me away."

Link laughed. "Afraid of signing your life away to an old-time actress?"

"Something like that." She then turned her attention towards their waiter, who had just arrived on the scene.

"Hi, I'll be your server tonight, my name's John, how y'all doin'?" he asked very quickly. "Now, have you two made up your minds, or shall it just be drink orders?"

"Are you ready, Link?" Zelda asked.

"Oh, yeah," Link said, giving John his menu. "I'll have a lemon water with the number 33. Only, does it have to be gorgonzola, or can I get bleu?"

"Bleu cheese is fine," the waiter said, making a note on his pad. "And what will it be for you, miss?"

"Number 39 and a Shirley Temple," Zelda answered unblushingly, choosing to ignore John's skeptical look. "Oh and please hold the shrimp, I'm allergic."

Nodding, John took her menu and walked away.

"Right," Zelda said, straightening and adopting a very business like expression. "If you don't mind, Link, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Fire away," Link said genially, shrugging his shoulders. He couldn't help adding mentally, _Like I would say any different…_

"Lovely. Ever held a job before now, Link?"

Making an effort not to sound indignant, Link replied, "Yes, ma'am, I have. When I was a senior in high school, I had a job taking care of the dogs in a neighborhood kennel, then in the summers I worked as a lifeguard. After that I had an extremely boring desk job with the local police station."

"You worked for the police?" Zelda inquired, sounding impressed. "How old were you at the time?"

"Ah, twenty, I guess," Link said. "I only got the job because my dad had some friends who were in the force." He laughed. "My mom was so worried that I'd get shot in the line of duty…of filing."

"Your mother's a very sweet woman," Zelda remarked. "I couldn't have asked for a better neighbor. Never forgets a birthday, and she's always bringing over food."

"Yeah, mom's a real nurturer," Link agreed, smiling.

"Excuse me, but did you two want bread?" John The Waiter asked, seeming to have appeared out of thin air.

Then a very weird, unexplainable thing happened. Simultaneously, Zelda and Link said, "_Noblesse oblige_."

They stared at each other. John stared at them. "No, then?" he asked tentatively. He started walking slowly away, and when neither of them called him back, he sped up.

Link looked as if he was about to say something, but Zelda shook her head and spoke first. "So for the sake of my own curiosity, Link, what—uh, did you pursue any education after high school?"

"Yes ma'am, I did," Link replied, thinking he was starting to sound like a cowboy what with all the yes ma'ams he was spouting. "I attended Bromwell in New York."

"Bromwell, Bromwell," Zelda mused, putting her napkin onto her lap. "Is that by West Point?"

A bitter smirk found its way onto Link's face. "Yup. Actually, my dad was really hoping I'd go _there_."

"He was an Army Sergeant, wasn't he?" Zelda asked.

"Yes, yes he was. Boy, he really hoped I would go to West Point, like he did. He doesn't like to let me forget, his father flew into Normandy on June 6th, and _he _himself was decorated by the President."

"Oh yes, he's shown me his accolades," Zelda said. She paused, then added, "My grandfather was there on D-Day as well. He was thought to be an M.I.A. briefly, because he'd lost his dog tag…he was identified in the end, though. My grandmother was a riveter while he was gone."

"Get out, your grandma was a regular Rosie Riveter?" Link asked excitedly, remembering that both his grandmothers' idea of contributing to the war effort was to knit sweaters for soldiers.

"Yes," Zelda replied stoically. "Funny thing is, her name _was_ Rosie. Maybe she felt obligated. She was just angry at the idea that her war-fighting abilities were limited by her sex. So she worked hard as she could."

_Guess that's where your mom gets it all_, Link thought to himself. "Well, that's certainly an inspiring story there."

She tried to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Once she came to the conclusion that no, he was being sincere, her cross-examination continued. "So have you ever had any interaction with kids before on any of your jobs?"

"Oh yeah, sure," Link responded, as John silently delivered their drinks. "Got a lot of kids at the kennel looking for dogs, 'cause my job was to pick up the dog they wanted and teach them how to treat it, take care of it…then when I was life-guarding, I had to be around kids all the time. Not to toot my own horn, but I never had to yell. The best way to deal with kids, I think, is to keep a cool head."

"My brother Jack was a life-guard, too," Zelda couldn't help saying. "I think he would probably have disagreed with you, though, because he seemed to be yelling all the time. Maybe he just didn't have the same way with kids." She crossed her legs, narrowly avoiding striking Link's knee. "Do you have any siblings, Link?"

"Regrettably, no," Link sighed ruefully. "I wanted a little brother for a long time, though." He shrugged. "But eventually I got used to being an only child." He took a sip of his water. Though he already had an idea of the answer, he asked, "How about you? Any siblings?"

Zelda gave a small, cynical chuckle. "Yes. My mother, you see, did not settle for just one husband. Right now she's on her sixth."

"She's had six husbands?!" Link blurted out incredulously before he could stop himself.

"Yeah, I know, it's pretty sad. Anyway, with her first husband, she had my sister Terra, my brother Jack, and another sister Deborah. Then there was _my_ dad, and she had my sister Vivien, me, and my brother Will. Then with her third we inherited Bentley and Marianne, and lastly with husband number four, she had twins, Rachel and Leah. Then she decided she'd never have children again." After delivering this monologue, Zelda calmly took a long drink from her Shirley Temple. Then she added as an afterthought, "I'm pretty sure that's why her fifth husband eventually left her—he kept thinking he could change her mind about having his children."

"Well…I mean, she _did_ have a lot of kids," Link chimed in. "Eight, right? Not counting your step-siblings?"

"I'm impressed," Zelda said, raising her eyebrows. "Not even my friends could usually keep up."

Link shrugged again. "I'm not bad with numbers." He looked down at his glass and realized he had drained it already. "Ah…um, would you please excuse me for just a moment? I kind of have to use the, er…"

"The bathroom's just to the left of the register in back."

"Thanks; I'll return in a moment." He'll return in a moment? Why was he talking so stupid today??

Getting to his feet, Link coughed uncomfortably and quickly walked in the direction she had pointed. He hoped the reason for this sudden bathroom trip was that he'd downed his drink and not because Zelda was intimidating him. Yet, as he opened the bathroom door, he thought so far he'd handled the interview fairly well. He credited that towards his affable nature.

"…she went to Harvard, right?"

"Yeah, I think so. Some big-shot university, anyway."

"Dude, girls like that don't need to go to no college. They's _waay_ too hot for that, you know what I'm sayin'?"

Rolling his eyes, Link tried to ignore the conversation going on between the two guys next to him.

"Not just pretty, huh?"

The other lecherous man whistled. "You have to admit, those legs are _fine_."

_Goddesses, tell me they're not talking about Zelda!_ Link thought to himself. He'd had just about enough of perverted guys talking about her—and everywhere! Good heavens, why did every Tom, Dick, and Harry know his boss?

"Yep," sighed one of the men, wiping his hands as they headed for the door. "That Michelle Pfeiffer is one smokin' lady!"

Michelle Pfeiffer. Link could have laughed at himself for being so paranoid.

Back at the table, Zelda idly stirred her Shirley Temple with her straw. Looking around at all the tables, she saw Schreiber with her husband Michael; the former caught Zelda's eye and waved.

"Hey, honey, you here alone?"

Zelda turned and saw the speaker was one of the lewd dudes Link had been eavesdropping on in the bathroom. He had a lopsided grin on his face and a rather ugly 5 o'clock shadow.

"Actually, no," she replied coolly. "As you apparently did not notice, there is a table setting across from me which, if you are able to put two and two together, would imply that I am _not_ here alone."

"Well then, where's your friend?" the man asked, seeming unfazed by this new information. "Is she on a trip to the ladies' room? I see she's finished her drink…and I see that _you_ are having a Shirley Temple. Now that ain't no drink! No alcohol at all!"

"That's the idea."

"Don't drink, huh? Doesn't look like your lady friend does either—"

Not knowing what on earth was possessing her to use such an incredibly old-fashioned scapegoat, Zelda said, "I'm here with a man, actually."

The fellow swayed a little but recovered and acted like she hadn't spoken. "Those are pretty nice stems you got—"

"Excuse me," said a lower voice behind the man. Zelda flushed with relief to see Link standing there, looking dark and holding the stranger's shoulder in a vise grip. "You're in my way." He caught the eye of a waiter and pushed the tipsy man towards him, looking disgusted.

As he sat down, Zelda quickly tried to end the little battle going on inside her head. Her first idea that had entered her mind was that what Link had done was romantic and considerate. Then another, colder voice thought it chauvinistic and geez, didn't he think she could take care of herself? He asked John for a refill, and Zelda thought, _Don't be rude, be nice—let him feel appreciated—ha, ha, this is putting me back in control—_

Trying not to appear worried that she might be schizophrenic, Zelda said, "Uh, thanks for… doing that. Guys like him really get to me." They got to her? Of course they did, who _wouldn't _they get to? Geez, she sounded like an idiot.

"No problem," Link said gruffly. "Sorry if he bothered you."

"Not your fault if he did." Hardly missing a beat, Zelda swiftly changed the topic. "So I wonder if I should brace myself for this question, Link, but it is kind of essential. How are you really getting along with Megan?"

"Great, oh, really great," Link said, who had been kind of nervous at how she first set up for the question. "She's been very, uh, very agreeable, actually. I think we get along pretty well."

"Do you? That's fantastic," Zelda said, still soundingapathetic. Or maybe that tone was tired. "She's usually quite—oh…"

Their orders had just arrived, and in lieu of it Zelda had stopped talking. After their waiter walked away, she went on.

"To be completely, blatantly, frankly honest, Megan can be quite picky," Zelda continued. "Her attitudes in the past have sometimes suggested…a von Trapp child, or at the very least, a pixilated young girl who wants only to be around someone she can stand all day long."

"You know, you have the most unique employment tactics," Link observed, staring at her with interest.

"How do you mean?" Zelda asked quickly, her blue eyes slightly widened.

Working hard not to laugh at her jumpiness, Link assured her, "You don't have to worry about my quitting, because Megan's been fine with me, but…I'm just surprised by your bluntness."

"Yes, I know," Zelda lamented. "It's not very lawyer-like, I've been told, but I don't see the benefit of lying to people. Megan can be tricky to handle, and I think that hopeful employees should be full aware of that before they agree to take on such a heavy responsibility. It would be unfair of me to tell them otherwise." She shrugged. "But from what I feel is pure pretentiousness, most nannies seem to think they are something special, that they alone can and will be the one responsible for at last getting the girl under control, and…oh dear me, I'm sorry, you got me rambling."

"No need to apologize," Link told her. "I think your honesty is admirable."

Zelda swirled her straw again, and when she spoke, she sounded somehow different. "Thank you. My mother didn't think it was such a brilliant idea. I don't know, maybe it's not, but…she's really not the consultant for parenting 101." Wow, _that_ had been straight-forward.

Deciding not to act on this last statement, Link asked, "So then, was your mom a lawyer, too, then?"

"Oh yes, yes. She still is."

"Are any of your siblings lawyers?"

"No; Jack's a history teacher at a high school, Terra's just a housewife, Vivien's a doctor, Deborah's considering becoming a mechanic, Will…oh sorry, I'm rambling _again_. I really don't usually do that, I swear. But…yeah, my mom's a lawyer. Found all the loopholes in everything…including motherhood." _Crap! What is WRONG with me, I'm talking right out of a lame soap opera!_

"So! Are you two enjoying everything so far?" asked their waiter John, who once again seemed to have shown an ability to appear from no where.

Zelda hastily answered the inquiry, desperate for anything to deviate attention from the foolish thing she'd just said. "Oh yes, it's great, thanks."

"Yeah, it's great," Link added before taking a drink from his glass. As John walked off, he said, "Mind if I ask you something, Ms. Cleverly?"

His tone was so curious, so empty of rudeness or sharpness, that Zelda was almost surprised to hear herself reply, "Go ahead."

"What were you before you were a lawyer? Or, I mean, did you have a job when you were in high school?"

It was subtle, but Link could tell from her reaction (or lack thereof, nearly), that it was a sensitive question. Zelda's fingers on her right hand curled almost into a fist, and a light red flush crept slowly up her neck. As if to distract them both from this, Zelda sighed and rubbed the side of her neck with her right hand. She cleared her throat.

"I…I uh, worked for a while at…at an amusement park."

It appeared as if she was ashamed of this for some reason, so Link courteously didn't push her to go on. "Did you always want to be a lawyer?"

"Yes," Zelda answered automatically. "Well…actually, up until third grade I kind of wanted to be a vet."

"Didn't we all?" Link chuckled.

"Did you?"

"Actually, yes. But then my mother told me how much extra school I'd have to go through to accomplish that, and well, that can be kind of a turn-off to an eleven year old, you know? Is your sister a vet or a doctor, did you say?"

"Doctor. Pediatrician, to be specific."

"Ah." He couldn't recall if that mean a specialist in children or feet, but since he didn't want to appear stupid, he didn't ask for clarification.

"My mom influenced my decision about being a veterinarian, too," Zelda added. "I think my main drives behind the job were that I loved animals and I wanted to make a lot of money." She gave a short, ironic laugh. "I knew vets made a lot of money because of this time Terra took her bird to one, and we were there five minutes and got charged 150. Anyway, my mother was pleased with the idea of the payroll, but she wasn't really much of an animal person. She thought—this is my speculation, at least—she thought that being a vet was something to be looked down upon.

"So anyway, she exploited my desire to keep all God's creatures safe and asked me this—when I was about seven or eight years old, she just pulled me aside one day and asked, what if you mess up? No wait, sorry; I was wrong, she didn't ask it, she _said _it. What if you mess up."

Link stared at her. Was she done? It was hard to tell. The silence seemed to give her her second wind.

"What if you make one mistake, one tiny mistake that ends up killing the poor thing? What if you _killed_ it, Zelda? Things like that happen, you know. It would be all your fault. You could be responsible for taking away the life of an innocent animal—after its owners had trusted you with its well-being…and you let them down. That is all it takes. One wrong little cut, one stitch gone awry. What if you mess up."

This stream of consciousness convinced Link that Mrs. Cleverly was definitely off her nut. Saying all those horrible, disheartening things to a kid? He was trying to think of something encouraging to tell Zelda after this depressing recollection, but then didn't, because it looked like she was going to start talking again.

As it turned out, she had initially opened her mouth to sigh. As she did this, her posture slackened slightly and her chin came to rest in her palm in a defeated sort of way. And then she spoke.

"The funny thing is, being a lawyer isn't all that different. There are all those same possibilities of failure, all those inescapable problems. It all depends on how good you are at what you do. My mother was just under the impression that her profession was more commendable than any other. I was eventually brought up to believe lawyers could do anything. People come to us for help—only not with a parakeet whose wing is broken or a hamster in need of a diagnose, but with much more _important_ problems. A robbery, embezzlement, etc. But if something goes wrong and justice does not prevail, it could still be your fault. Just as failing to save the life of an old Labrador you have failed to win a case for your client, when they were counting on you."

Her hands were no longer positioned one on her lap and one under her chin; both were slowly being run through her hair, as if she was trying to yank out thoughts with her fingers. Her voice nearly muffled by her hands, Zelda finished, "What if you mess up."

And then she fell silent. Link's mind was racing with questions and wondering what on earth to say. Why was she telling him all this? Would she pick it up again? What should he say, how should he reply? He had just opened his mouth to spit out whatever first came into his head when he felt a hand on his shoulder tacitly silencing him.

Schreiber stood beside him, looking down at Zelda with an expression mixed with pity and solemnity.

"Hey," she whispered. "Zelda."

There was no verbal response. The blonde's knuckles turned white as she tightened her hold on her hair.

Her husband waiting awkwardly in the background, Schreiber slid her hand off Link's shoulder and put one knee on the side of the booth her co-worker was sitting on. Gently she said, "Zelda, what is it, are you okay?"

Zelda's back stiffened and she finally removed her hands from her head. Rather incredibly, her hair seemed to just fall back into place as if she had never touched it. In a crushed tone she tried to sound firm as she said, "I'm fine, Eliza. Really, I am." With a sigh she reverted back to her impeccably straight posture. "I'm sorry. Goddesses, I'm sorry. Would you excuse me for a moment, please? Why don't you two just catch up…" Without waiting for someone to say yes or now, she took her wallet and slipped silently by Schreiber.

"Yeah, sure," the brunette said slightly loudly. Once Zelda had walked out of earshot, Schreiber's solicitous countenance turned (albeit slowly) cheerful. "So! Been in California very long, Link?"

Meanwhile, Zelda was making her way to the restroom. She was grateful to find it (astoundingly) empty, and promptly walked into one of the stalls.

It was coming up her throat, burning to get out of her system; standing up, Zelda tried to resist the urge; her stomach was tying itself in knots, tremors causing her whole body to tremble dangerously and Zelda praying her epiglottis would hold out. But it was all in vain. Horrible retching noises reverberated off the walls of the bathroom as Zelda involuntarily emptied her dinner into the toilet. Just after this disgusting ordeal, the door of the restroom opened and a few laughing women came in. Instinctively Zelda ceased her heavy gasping, not wanting to worry or scare the strangers.

Her chest clenched and felt like steel as she held in another spew of vomit struggling to get out. Eventually she let escape a small, barely audible cough that went practically unnoticed by the other women in the bathroom. Hoping it wouldn't leave too much of a smell, Zelda flushed the vomit down the toilet. Nonchalantly she washed her hands and was just exiting through the door when her cell phone rang. Sighing, she took it out of her wallet-purse.

"Yes?"

Without even so much as a preliminary hello, Malon (on the other line) said, "Holy crap, you sound awful."

"Gee, thanks."

"Well, how's it going?"

"Oh…" Zelda closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. "It was going really well, I thought we were doing pretty good, you know, and then…and then…don't ask me how, but we got on the subject of my mother, and—and—"

"Whoa, Zellie, calm down, relax," Malon interrupted as it sounded like Zelda was going to start hyperventilating. Indeed she seemed to be having trouble stringing two words together. "Hey, Zel, are you crying?"

"No!" Zelda answered truthfully. "It's just—he makes me feel so strange—but in, like, a good way…I just felt like I could trust him, you know? And so I blurted out this story about my mother emotionally scarring me for life and I had to leave him with an old high school friend we ran into so I could have a moment to recuperate! He must think I'm a complete maniac or a freak at the very least!"

"Come on, Zelda, he doesn't think you're a psychotic freak," Malon sighed patiently. "And if you're interested, I had a similar experience with him this afternoon. I mean I told him something that I haven't talked about with anyone else! And I hardly know him, which is the weird thing. So I can totally relate to how you must feel right now. Except one bit."

"Which?"

"Well, I didn't feel embarrassed about it. Whereas you felt the need to run and hide from him. Look, I know it's awkward, but I really don't think he's going to like, judge you. I felt like I could totally trust him."

"But it's different in your case!" Zelda whimpered. "You don't have a reputation, you're not his boss, you're not the one who's supposed to be intimidating and turned out just pathetic!"

"All right, granted you have a couple points," Malon concurred reluctantly. "But who ever said you had to be intimidating? For heaven's sakes, what are you trying to do, scare him away form wanting to work for you?"

"Look, Mal, I really should go back," Zelda said. "I don't think it's a great idea for the boss to be missing from the job interview for too long."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Malon agreed. "I'll see you later then, Zelda."

"Bye." Groaning sadly, Zelda put her phone into her purse again and headed back to her table.

"Here she comes," Schreiber said in a hushed voice. "Not just remember: by any means necessary, make the woman laugh. And if you do, call that number I gave you and tell me about it, okay?" She laughed. "Even if you don't end up making her laugh, give me a ring, okay? It'd be great to hear from you." To keep herself from placing a hand flirtatiously on his arm, Schreiber stood up to join her husband. "Goodbye, Link, so good to see you again!"

"Yeah, ditto," Link said, feeling awkward that he hadn't been introduced to her long-silent husband.

"See you later, Zelda," Schreiber said as the blonde reached them. "Feel better, okay, hon?"

"Yes indeedy, as we say on the range," Zelda responded. "I'll be sure to get out the old selenium hexafluoride."

"Um, okay. Bye."

"Ciao."

Before Zelda could talk, Link started off a conversation and acted as if the previous ten minutes had not just occurred.

"Noblesse oblige," he said with a curious smile. "Yes indeedy, and selenium hexafluoride? Correct me if I'm wrong, but is it just me, or did you ever watch 'You Know You Go to MHS When'?"

"You've heard of MHS?" Zelda asked, completely taken aback by this new information. "It didn't even last two seasons"

"I always wondered why that was," Link sighed, glad that she seemed to be talking comfortably. "Did you see the episode, 'Lark Times Are Here Again,' the one where Viv's weird cousin Lark visits?"

"I can't remember...what else happens in the episode?"

Laughing in a nostalgic manner, Link leaned back to regale her with the story. "It's the one where it's been raining for three days straight, and so McLise is practicing for track in the house. So she's running around in a huge circle through the rooms on the main floor and meanwhile, Viv's coming up from the basement and—"

"And she opens the door and McLise _runs_ right into it!" Zelda finished for him, an excited look in her eye. "So McLise—I remember now, they had the two shots side by side—McLise gets flung backwards into the fridge, and Viv was pushed back by the door and went somersaulting back down the steps!"

"I wonder if Izzi Wenzler had a stunt double for that," Link mused. But he didn't say anything else, because he realized he had achieved the goal Schreiber had set him.

She laughed. Something beautiful, like tinkling wind chimes; high-pitched but still melodious to the ear. Her smile showed off brilliantly white teeth and twin dimples. The laugh made Link laugh, and wonder why it had been so hard for Schreiber to get Zelda to do so.

"I haven't thought about that show in years!" Zelda cried. "When was it, 1991?"

"Yeah, I think so," Link confirmed, pleased that she seemed to be genuinely exuding happiness. "You have no idea—not one person I know has ever watched that show, and lots haven't even heard of it!"

"I always went over to Malon's hours to watch it," She added. "Her mom thought it was completely moronic, but it just killed us, every week!"

"My parents thought it was stupid, too," Link told her. "But then, you have to consider their taste—God forbid my mother miss _one_ 'Days of Our Lives,' you know?"

"Ah, my mom thought TV in general was idiotic," Zelda murmured wistfully. "She could be _most_ disagreeable about it."

"Is that why you watched it at Malon's house?" he heard himself ask quietly.

For one of the first times that evening, she looked him directly in the eye. She held his gaze for a while, wondering curiously how long she could. Then Zelda said passively, "Yes, that's why." She then caught their waiter's eye and asked for the check. "Well, Link," she said with the air of one changing the subject, "I think this has been a very informative evening."

"I whole-heartedly agree," Link said, working hard to repress the urge to reach across the table and take her fidgeting hand. Although now Zelda had reverted back to her tough façade, beneath that Link had seen a glimpse of the sensitive, nervous wreck she really was—and the untapped happiness that was also within her, somewhere very deep down. He decided at that moment that from that night on, he would make Megan his first priority but also begin to solve the confusing puzzle that was Zelda Cleverly.

**&-**

**A/N**: Well, that was quite random. Just as a sidenote for anyone who was interested, You Know You Go to MHS When... is the name of a local show some kids at my high school put on way back when, and the catchprases Link and Zelda recognize here are ones that became associated with certain characters on that show. Also, while some of the conversation in this chapter may have seemed fairly melodramatic, Zelda's story of her mother telling her not to become a vet was also actually taken from a real life experience of mine.


	9. Why So Serious?

**A/N**: So I've just gone back and added a nice little coda to this chapter to juice it up a bit...sorry this has been so long in the making, folks. But this chapter was really written just to set up the _next _one, which personally I'm pretty excited about. So get pumped.

* * *

"How are you with directions, Link?" Zelda asked as they pulled out of the restaurant's parking lot.

"Oh, not bad," he replied. "I can usually find my way without getting lost, if I've been shown at least once."

"Excellent. You'll notice now that we're on Winter Road? Just down this way to the left is the Stop & Shop, the Duane Reade, and also a nice little coffee shop. Follow?"

"Yeah, and you go through Monroe Square to get onto Winter, right?"

"_Very_ good," Zelda remarked. "Now if you keep going down here, there's this intersection. Gorcey is a dead end, but you see that big building down there? That's the elementary school Megan goes to. And Halop here leads to the highway." She turned the car right, onto, "Meryl Street."

"Meryl Stree_t_?" Link repeated, thinking he might have misheard.

"It's California, Link," Zelda answered swiftly, barely suppressing a smirk. "I'm waiting for a J. Lo Lane to spring up somewhere…anyway, on Meryl is the nearest mall, where Megan would probably like spending a few days before school starts."

"What's that next to it? Presbyterian church?" Link asked.

"No, Catholic," Zelda said, as the front of the building came into view. "St. John and Paul's; kind of a funny place to put a church, right by a mall, but….anyway, you know what street your parents live on?"

"Diamond. Hey, there it is," Link said, looking surprised. "Wow, that was trippy."

"That's one word for it," Zelda said. She turned onto Diamond. "And then the adjacent drive would be, of course, mine, which is Waverly."

"Huh," Link snorted. "I'm impressed. It's a concise little area, considering…"

"Yes, it's pretty easy to, uh…learn," Zelda said awkwardly. A few moments later, they were in the driveway. Link noticed his boss' eyes flick up to a room on the second floor, where the lights were on. Getting out of the car, she muttered, "Why can't I ever trust Malon to do a thing…"

She pulled something off her key ring and tossed it to Link. "For the front door. If you lose it, there's another one under the dog house."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, slipping the key onto his own chain.

The humor of the latter part of the evening seemed to have disappeared. Zelda was no longer smiling, and there was no indication of her earlier amusement. Entering her domain, Zelda said needlessly, "Follow me." She led him into the kitchen, then opened a door on the far end of the room Link hadn't noticed before. Turning on the light, Zelda started down a staircase and Link followed, wondering how women could maneuver stairs in shoes so high-heeled.

"Welcome to basement one, or as I like to call it, the hard labor room," Zelda said unceremoniously. "Washing machine, drying machine, ironing board, furnace. I'd tell you how to work the machines, but there's really no need: my last nanny was a complete idiot, and had to keep asking me how to use them, so I finally just typed out instructions and taped them onto the lids. Now if you go through _this_ door—" she opened said door by the furnace—"we have basement two."

Link raised his eyebrows. He'd already thought "the hard labor room" was spacious enough, but the second part of the basement put it to shame. There was a large-screen TV on one side, next to the biggest set of music speakers he had ever seen. Facing these was a plushy looking couch with plain black pillows. On the other side of the room was an exercise bike, a treadmill, and a lateral-row machine. Right nearby was a prodigious A/C.

"The entertainment and exercise room," Zelda sighed. "Please feel free to use anything in here." She led him towards a cabinet by the TV. "This bottom shelf here has all of the movies I'd let Megan watch. A bit of Disney, Dreamworks, the Rugrats, a few oldies…then the rest is just crap I've accumulated over the years—once again, at your leisure, watch any of them, but…I have a very strict policy concerning movies and my daughter that I'd like you to be aware of."

"Uh, okay, shoot," Link said amiably, mostly because he felt it had been too long since he'd spoken.

"Firstly, I do not allow movies on school nights," Zelda started. "The thought of watching something usually tends to distract her from her homework. Now secondly…_do not_ let her watch anything above this second shelf. I didn't think it was too much to ask, but my first nanny lost her job because she let a six year old watch Marathon Man."

"Are you kidding?" Link blurted.

"Not kidding," Zelda wearily assured him.

"Must be hard taking her to the dentist."

"You have no idea" Zelda mumbled, her shoulders drooping. "It's taken me over a year to convince her that her dentist is not a Nazi. She doesn't even know what a Nazi is! I—ah. Just nothing too violent, bad language, sex, etc…basically, no PG-13s or R's. Or, while I'm at it, nothing PG from the '80s."

"Right," Link said with a wry smile. A tape on the second shelf caught his eye. "Wait a minute…you'd let her watch Deep Throat?"

Closing the cabinet, Zelda said with a slightly disgusted air, "A documentary on Nixon and Watergate." Walking away from the TV, she headed back for the stairs. "Well, that's principally it; the rest of the house just has your normal appliances in the normal rooms. Any questions?"

"No, no, I'm good," Link said. He shut the door to the basement(s) behind them. "Thanks for the evening, Ms. Cleverly, it was…very helpful."

She was walking up the main staircase with him instead of going to her own room. He had a feeling she was going up to check on her daughter, whose light had been on when they'd arrived home. Link's room was first in the hallway, and when he opened the door to go in, Zelda automatically stopped. For a brief moment Link's heart was hammering against his chest, but then he remembered Zelda had not yet seen his newly painted walls.

"Forest green, then?" she asked.

"Er, yes," Link replied cautiously, not sure if she was about to yell a negative opinion at him or if she'd just been making an observation.

"It looks much better this way," she stated submissively. "To be honest, I never really was one for pink."

_Which doesn't surprise me_, Link thought to himself before saying out loud, "I'm glad you like it."

"Yes…" With a sigh, Zelda pulled her head out of the room and let him go in. "Thank you for humoring me this evening. You seem to be perfect for this job as Megan's 'bodyguard.' Speaking of whom, I'm going to go play mother and find out why her light is still on. Good-night, Link."

"Night." He hesitated in the doorway as she walked down the hall, teetering on the edge of saying one more thing. "Ms. Cleverly," he blurted out.

She turned and raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"

He put his hand on the knob of his door to steady himself. "You have a beautiful smile." With a shy grin, he closed the door.

Zelda stood frozen in the hall. She felt shock flowing through her body and slowly she turned around. Feeling oddly numb, Zelda made her way down the hall. Link's words rang in her head; she shook it lightly before pushing open Megan's door.

Not too surprisingly, Megan was actually asleep in her bed. Malon was sitting in the rocking chair nearby, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration at the book in her hand.

"That might be slightly above your reading level," Zelda remarked, breaking the silence. Malon looked up. Her blond friend stepped into the room with a smirk. "Try not to slip up on the big words."

"Oh, ha," Malon said, closing Good-Night Moon. "I was just trying to dig into the…psychological…subtext …meanings of children's books."

"Yeah, of course you were," Zelda snorted. Folding her arms, she crossed over to the bed and nodded towards Megan's sleeping figure. "How long has she been out?"

"Oh, about 8:00," Malon answered, getting out of the rocker as quietly as she could. "Little thing wanted to stay up 'til you got home. So I played along and just read to her until she dropped off."

"Was Good-Night Moon one of the things she asked you to read her?" Zelda asked, in a tone that indicated this book was too juvenile for a seven-year-old.

"Actually, no, relax," Malon said, smiling at Zelda's subtle indignation. "I was a bit impressed, she went for the old classics—Beezus and Ramona."

"Oh, yes, she's going through that Beverly Cleary phase most girls go do," Zelda said, flipping through the pages of Henry and Ribsy. "Funny thing is, she hates stuff like 'Ralph the Skating Mouse' or Mitch and Amy. She'll only read the ones about Beezus, and Henry, and Ramona, and Ribsy." She paused. "Just like I used to."

"How'd you know that about her?" Malon asked quietly.

"My daughter is not a complete stranger to me, in spite of how it may seem," Zelda hissed defensively.

"Wow, cool your heels, sparky," Malon said, putting her hands up. "I'm…sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"No, _I'm_ sorry," Zelda sighed, almost cutting Malon off. "I'm just in a…hey, let's go downstairs; I don't want to wake her up." She continued after shutting Megan's door. "Tonight I'm just in a very unusual mood."

"Why? How do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. It's like I said earlier when you called me…I'm use to interviewing people and feeling prepared, confident, ready…but he really threw me for a loop."

"Caught you off guard, you mean?" Malon prompted her.

"Exactly. It just felt very improvised, impromptu, random. I'm used to uptight people who memorize all the answers and have no color at all."

"Maybe that's why Megan likes Link so much," Malon reasoned. "He's actually interesting, as opposed to the boring dunderheads you usually hire."

"Dunderheads. That's a good one." Emitting another loud sigh, Zelda collapsed onto the sofa. Rubbing her eyes, she added, "Din, I'm tired. I tried really hard to be courteous to him, and it's tough."

"Zel, you've always been courteous," Malon said sounding exasperated as she plunked down next to her. She put an arm around her shoulder. "Really. For all you cut yourself up, I'd have expected you to have turned into some evil Prada-wearing devil, but you really haven't changed all that much. You're still that girl." She shoved her (now famous) open album onto Zelda's lap.

The blonde looked down at the book against her will. This particular page had a picture on it in which she and Emily were pretending to fight over a basketball. They looked falsely angry in one photo, but in the next one they were laughing hysterically.

"I'm used to correcting your mistakes, Malon, and I feel obligated to do so now," Zelda said, shutting the book and giving it back to her. "You're wrong. I'm not the same, I'm not a kid anymore. People change. I don't really like the fact that I've had to, but I accept it. You said I haven't changed 'that much,' and maybe for the most part I haven't." She got to her feet. "I'm still head-strong, still easily stirred into a temper, still independent, still….female…"

"But you don't seem to have a sense of humor anymore," the red-head concluded, also getting up.

"You know, Malon, I _did_ think that was the case, and I _did_ rather think I was a lost cause," agreed Zelda, heading for her room, "but we were both mistaken. I do smile, and I do laugh, just not very often."

"Wh—did _he_ make you laugh?" Malon gasped. "Oh, that's so cute, what did he do? Tell a dirty joke, pull a Ninotchka? Spill!"

"It's no big deal."

"Hey, no, you don't go disappear behind your little door without giving me the low-down, Zelda!"

"I'll say this, Mal: it concerned reminiscing about Viv, McLise, one rainy day, and a staircase. Good night." Shutting the door behind her, Zelda heard Malon's laughter of dawning comprehension.

Climbing the steps to her room, Zelda's mind was uncharacteristically blank. She seemed to be merely concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, and nothing else. Upon entering her secluded bedroom, she issued a faint sigh. Zelda walked towards her closet, and as she began to undress herself, the wheels in her brain finally started turning again. Link's words about her smile came to her.

Without being vain, she knew she was far from ugly. Mostly Zelda attributed this to the fact that her mother (a beautiful person herself) would rather have died than marry someone anybody might find the slightest bit unattractive. She had never directly told Zelda this, but it hadn't been all that hard to figure out. Consequently, Zelda knew that she herself was undeniably good-looking, but presently acknowledged that she hadn't been told so to her face (by a sober person, anyway) since high school…until tonight.

Why was that one simple thing Link said having such a weird effect on her? _You have a beautiful smile_. Zelda looked into her dresser mirror and attempted a smile. No—the fake hat trick wasn't working.

She contemplated just going to bed, and then remembered something Vivien had once said her husband had told her: putting a mirror across from one's bed (like Zelda had) was bad feng shui. Recalling how ludicrous she'd found the statement upon first hearing it, an unwilling smile crept onto her features. Quickly she turned to the mirror again, then burst out laughing because she felt so ridiculous for wanting to look.

Zelda fell backwards onto her bed, trying desperately to suppress the sounds of mirth coming out of her mouth. Finally getting a grip on herself, she sat back up and took her hair out of it's achingly strong tie. A ripple of pain flowed from root to tip and only then did she feel as close to relaxed as she could ever get. The shot of pain worked like a jolt of a reminder to never forget…what right did she have to be happy? Goddesses, it had been so long since she'd last laughed. She had forgotten what it sounded like.

Zelda opened her top desk drawer. Moving aside an old photograph and a rosary, she picked up a hand mirror that was slightly larger than average. Turning her back on the desk mirror, Zelda held the hand one out in front of her—due to the fact she was wearing only a slip and undergarments, the scar running between her shoulder blades was still resolutely visible, still hard to look at. It brought up grisly memories most people would generally want to forget, but for Zelda, scars of both the physical and emotional kind were what kept her going through her pathetic excuse for alife. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Putting the mirror back in it's place, she felt too tired and too hot to put on any manner of a nightgown. Pulling the stranger's jacket out from under the bed (where it had fallen the previous night), Zelda reached up to shut off the light and attempt sleep.

**&-**

Several weeks flowed endlessly together, and it wasn't until three months later that Malon had announced it was high time she get out of the Cleverly family's hair and head on home. She had tried her best to hold on to a steady job in California, but couldn't find anything that maintained her interest long enough. For the most part she felt as if she had been mooching off of her pal, and so it was with a resolved conscience that the redhead declared her intention to move out.

"But Malon, you can't leave now!" Megan whimpered, morphing immediately into her I'm-a-cute-little-girl-and-you-can't-say-no-to-me act. "Can't you at least stay for Thanksgiving with us?"

"Ah, there's the thing!" Malon chuckled, poking Megan on the nose before settling herself into a kitchen chair. "Hasn't your mother told you about our Thanksgiving plans yet?"

"Apparently not," Link laughed at seeing Megan's nonplussed expression. The phone rang then, and he leaned back in his own chair to pick it up. "Speak of the devil, it's your mother," he said upon seeing the number.

"My mom's not the devil!" Megan said, sounding offended, just after Link had put it on speaker phone.

"Thank you very much, honey," came Zelda's voice through the speaker, causing Link and Malon to laugh.

"Oh, mom, hi!"

"Hey, big Z!"

"Ms. Cleverly."

"Ah, you have me on speaker phone. That's probably just as well. Anyway, the reason I'm calling is that I have a five minute break between appointments and so I thought I'd pass along a message that I'm sure Malon was probably about to divulge anyway. As I'm sure you're aware, Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and you know what that means, Megan—Aunt Vivien and Uncle Henry's annual attempt to get us to come up for their Thanksgiving party."

"Are we going this year??" Megan guessed, sounding thrilled at the very idea.

"You'll be glad to know that your boring old mother finally agreed to do just that," Zelda sighed, trying to sound as if her defeat had been a happy one but (at least to Link and Malon's trained ears) not faring so well. "Anyway, when Aunt Vivien heard that Malon has been free-loading—I mean staying with us, sorry, Mal—"

"You're a scream, Zelda," Malon laughed, rolling her eyes.

"She invited her to come along with us. And of course that goes for Link as well, although if you want to stay with your parents I completely understand. But Vivien did express an interest in meeting you."

"Actually, I don't have any Thanksgiving plans this year," Link said, surprised that he was invited. He wondered if Zelda had just been trying to be polite and thought that he would have to decline, but quickly discarded this idea as he got more intrigued by the idea of spending a holiday with her. "My parents are headed up to spend it with my dad's parents, neither of whom will speak to me, so I…don't really have a place to go."

"You have to come with us, then!" Megan insisted. "Right, mom? He can come to Aunt Vivien's, right?"

"Of course, that would be fine," Zelda said, and this time her tone was harder to read. "I just hope you won't be bored, or scared. All of my siblings are likely to be there and it may get… intense."

"Oh my gosh, I'm _so _excited!" Malon squealed. "It's been so long since we had a Cleverly family reunion, Zel! I mean, I haven't seen your brothers and sisters in years! This'll be great! I am pumped beyond belief! I can just barely hold it in! I mean really, this is going to be SO much fun! It really is! I'm going to bring all my photo albums and try and dig up some old home videos and it's just going to be amazing!"

There was silence from the other line.

"Ms. Cleverly? Are you there?" Link asked.

"Yes, I was just waiting to check and see that Malon's rant was over," Zelda replied, causing her redheaded pal to roll her eyes again. "Well, this is great. I'll just get the tickets booked, then, and we'll be on our merry way in a few weeks. Ah, my 3:00 has finally decided to show up. I'll talk to you all later."

"Good-bye," the three of them said in unison, although they all severely doubted the last thing Zelda had said. If there was one thing Link in particular had learned about his boss, it was that she was rarely home and when she was, she liked to be alone. Ever since the night she had taken him out for dinner those few months ago, he had only seen her twice—sometimes even once—a week. He was sad that Malon was leaving, because she had been a tremendous help to him: keeping him sane when he wanted someone older than six to talk to, assisting him with some household appliances, and other niceties.

"Incidentally, where does Vivien live?" Link asked, not wanting to think about the depressing subject of Malon's departure anymore.

"What did Tennessee?" Malon guffawed. Link stared at her. "What Arkansas! Come on, you know that one!"

"Oh, yeah. Arkansas, huh? Can't say I've ever been there before."

"Well, just you wait a couple more weeks and you won't be able to say that anymore!" was the best thing Malon could come up with. She jumped when another phone rang loudly, then quickly calmed down when she realized it was her own cell coming from her pocket. Furrowing her brow in confusion, Malon muttered, "I thought I had this thing turned off, weird." Upon seeing who it was that was calling, her expression did not perk up very much. "Oh dear, it's dad." She flipped it open and headed out for the backyard, where she wouldn't disturb anyone. "Hello?"

Link watched her go, nothing that Ugg boots had never looked better than they did on Malon at this moment, covering just about as much skin as the denim shorts she was wearing. He wondered vaguely if he should have made a move on her before now: Malon was gorgeous, very funny, fairly smart, and also seemed to like him quite a bit. Any other guy with half a brain would have asked her out by now. So what was holding him back? The answer came to him abruptly in the form of another question, this one asked by a rather perceptive six-year-old girl.

"Hey, Link?" she said, drawing his attention away from the backyard and back to the kitchen. "What do you think of my mom?"

"Your mom?" Link asked blankly, staring at Megan's eager face from across the table. "What do I think of her? What… do I think of your mom?"

"Yeah," Megan said, not sure why Link had felt the need to repeat the question (in various forms) three times. "What do you think of her?"

He hadn't been prepared for this question. "Well, I guess I—"

"Do you like her?"

"Like her?" She probably hadn't meant it the way Link had automatically perceived it, but all the same the inquiry had flustered him. "I don't kn …I mean sure, I _like _your mother, Megan."

"Do you think she's pretty?" Megan pressed him.

"Honestly, Megan?" Link snorted, grinning. There was no point in lying, really. "Guilty as charged—as your mother might say. I don't think there's a man on this earth who could get away with saying your mom is anything but beautiful." He sobered up enough to add, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell her I said that, though."

That seemed to satisfy Megan, who sat back with a pleased smile. "Don't worry, I won't tell her," she assured Link, although she had a look on her face that indicated she would use it to blackmail him sometime in the future if necessary. The grin faded after a few moments, though, and Megan asked her next question with a certain gravity that Link was not accustomed to hearing in the voice of a little kid. "If that's true, though, why don't I have a new dad, Link? Why isn't she married?"

"That's…a bit harder to answer, kid," Link responded gruffly. "But your mom is… she's…" The truth of it was, he didn't really know what Zelda was. Malon could probably paint a better portrait of the woman, but he didn't want to buck the question over to her. "Megan, your mother is very busy."

"Duh. She's never home."

"Okay, I mean she's really…tired. And I do think sometimes she might feel like she has to get out there on her own, like she's trying to prove to the world that she can do it alone—even if she doesn't want to. But I don't think she knows she doesn't want to, she's too busy showing that she can. Do you know what I mean?"

In response to this, Megan raised one eyebrow.

"Guess not," Link chuckled. "I'm not doing a very good job, I'm afraid. Tell you what, kid. You just wait a couple of weeks until Thanksgiving, and then you'll have so much time with your mom, you won't know what to do with it! She'd probably be better up to answering these questions than I am."

"Maybe," Megan said with a shrug. With a heavy sigh, she got up off of her chair and headed over to the calendar that was stuck to the refrigerator. "I'd better start counting down the days!" she explained, grabbing a marker from a nearby drawer. "I think this is gonna be great."


	10. Stained Glass

Thanksgiving came upon the Cleverly household before any of them felt quite ready for it. Zelda was trying to remember the last time she had been on a vacation with her daughter and came up empty: she herself had only been away on business, and a few times one of her siblings had come to take Megan for a few weeks in the summer. This would be the first time they ever left on a trip together, and it wouldn't even be alone. That didn't really bother Zelda—she was glad there would be some adult company on the journey—but then immediately felt guilty for _not _wishing she and Megan could be alone. Did that make her a bad mother?

_Yes…_

Zelda had quickly remembered why she hated flying—there were at least three screaming babies on the plane, not to mention the kid sitting behind her that kept kicking her chair and the steward that kept hitting on her every time he came by. She managed to drown out most of the crying noises by listening to her iPod at a dangerously high volume (Malon teased her for "blasting" George Winston), and, unbeknownst to Zelda, Link took care of her two other problems: when the flirty steward came by to offer Zelda a refill on her water, Link fixed him with an icy glare, daring him to make another shady move (or comment). He then offered the kid kicking Zelda's chair a bag of Skittles if he would sit still for the rest of the flight—this went unheard by Link's boss, who was still deep into her moody piano music and trying to pretend that she was not on a plane.

They were met at the airport (baggage claim) by Zelda's sister Vivien, the raven-haired beauty Link had come to feel familiar with after having seen her photograph so many times. She was surrounded by four small children who all looked Asian; for a moment Link thought she must have adopted them but soon remembered Malon telling him that Vivien had married a Chinese guy. Megan ran forward to greet the other kids, and several high-fives and air punches were quickly established. Vivien stepped around them to embrace her sister, who looked more than ready to collapse into anybody's arms.

"Hey there, honey!" Vivien laughed, patting Zelda on the back. "Let me get a look at you!" With some effort, she pulled her sister off at arm's length, then observed, "I forgot how much air travel seems to disagree with you."

"Thanks, sis."

"Any time." Vivien turned her attention to Malon, who immediately squealed with girlish delight and threw her arms around their host.

"VIV! I haven't seen you in so long! My gosh, the last time we were together you were pregnant with your second kid! And now look at them, oh, they are _so _precious!" Malon gushed, very quickly and without taking breath. Instead of giving Vivien the opportunity to respond with equal enthusiasm, Malon hurried over to go and mingle with the adorable children.

"Well, I guess I know who she came here to see," Vivien chuckled, no fixing her eyes on Link, who had just gotten the last piece of luggage. "And let me guess, here. Hm… you must be Link, am I right?"

"Good guess, Dr. Lee," Link said, extending his hand towards her. He felt immediately comforted by Vivien's sincere smile and gentle handshake, both of which contrasted deeply with Zelda's.

"Oh, you don't have to be so formal with me, Link," Vivien said, reaching over to take Zelda's luggage for her. "You can call me _Mrs_. Lee." When Zelda asked how they were all going to fit in the car alongside their baggage, Vivien said, "Uh-oh, you're right. I didn't think about that when the kids asked to come with me. Relax, I'm kidding. Mom drove up here with that monster truck thing of hers from when we were young'ns, so there's more than enough room."

"Um, when you say monster truck…" Link started.

"I just mean that it's a ridiculously large vehicle," Vivien laughed, leading the group towards the parking lot. "I hate driving it, it feels like you're driving a building! And I hope you remembered to pack warm clothes; I don't think you're used to chilly weather out in sunny California, but it can get pretty cold around here this time of year."

"Don't worry, we've packed the essentials," Zelda sighed. She jumped slightly when she felt her cell phone vibrating in her pocket. "Mm, sorry, I have to take this."

"Come on, Zel, no business on this trip!" Vivien complained lightly.

"It's not business, it's Schreiber," Zelda muttered, opening the phone. "She probably wants to make sure we got in okay…. Hello? Eliza? Hey…"

"Aunt Viv, is it going to snow?" Megan asked eagerly, skipping to the head of the line to catch up with Vivien as Zelda fell back. Having spent every winter of her life in California, "snow" was still something mythical to her that she had only ever seen in the movies—and almost didn't want to believe it existed until she experienced it for herself.

"According to our local weatherman, we can start expecting it this weekend," Vivien replied. "So hopefully you won't have to wait that long." She cleared her throat and slowed down somewhat so that she was level with the 'bodyguard.' "So! Link! Do you care for baseball?"

"Yeah, I love it," Link said. "I used to play it in high school, actually."

"Did you really? Anyway, I ask because my boys—Henry and Joe, by the way—absolutely love it, as does my husband, but they can rarely assemble enough people to play a full game. But as we have family pouring in from all sides of the continent for Thanksgiving, I think they might have a fair shot at a good game. That is, if no one minds playing it this cold… although I should think that after running around a bit you would warm up pretty fast."

"Don't they let girls play?" Malon asked.

"Girls can't play sports!" howled Joe, the younger of the two boys. "They aren't athletic at all!"

"That's not true," Malon said before promptly tripping over a curb.

"I'm just teasin' ya," Joe giggled, helping her to her feet.

Malon didn't seem to mind getting teased by the kids, which turned out to be just as well because she was stuck in the back with all five of them for the entire ride from the airport to Vivien's home. The palatial house was one of the most beautiful buildings Link had ever seen; he had mistaken it for a school or a library before Vivien pulled into the driveway and announced that they'd made it. There were still a considerable amount of leaves on the trees lining the estate that hadn't fallen yet, and the colors were the most delightfully autumn-like things Link had seen in years.

As soon as Vivien opened the front door, the kids all went barreling inside the house with Malon in tow. True to the word of both Zelda and Viv, it really did look as if their entire family was congregated there—although it really looked like enough people to constitute three or four families, Link thought. It was clear to him by the tense atmosphere the way everyone seemed to be clinging on to each of Vivien's words of introduction that theirs had been the most anticipated arrival. Link was introduced to more people than he could keep track of, and it felt strange to recognize some of them from pictures he'd seen that had been taken of them years into the past. Once they'd made all the rounds and everybody went back to their own conversations, Link realized that the only person he hadn't met was the legendary Mrs. Cleverly. That, however, was about to be rectified.

"Hey bro, where's Terra?" Vivien asked the man she had just introduced to Link as her brother Jack.

"She's in the kitchen with mom," Jack answered, nodding at the door behind him. "I know," he added, seeing the looks of surprise on Vivien and Zelda's faces. "I don't know how Terra got her in there, but she probably regrets. They most likely need an interruption like Zellie's arrival to get them in slightly better spirits than they were the last time I was in there…"

"Well Link, I hope this doesn't scare you away for the rest of the holiday," Vivien said in a joking tone that belied her statement. Link only smiled and followed her, but came to a halt when Vivien turned around said, "Zel, come on, grow up! She's not going to bite your head off."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Zelda said sourly, folding her arms as she reluctantly stalked after Vivien and Link. "To be perfectly frank, I'm afraid of what _I _might do to her…"

"Chill. She's softened up a bit in her old age."

"So instead of screaming at you about all of your insufficiencies, she's taken up to hitting you with her briefcase?"

"Pretty much."

Link didn't know whether or not they were kidding; although Zelda's tone was relatively jocular, she still looked as though she had just swallowed a lemon. Rolling her eyes with a one-sided smirk, Vivien opened the kitchen door just in time to see her mother throwing a pot holder at Terra.

"Sweet moves, sis!" Viv laughed as Terra ducked to avoid getting hit.

"Zelda!!" Terra cried, a wide smile brightening her face as she hurried over to pull Link's boss into a bone-crushing hug. "Gosh, it's _so _good to see you! My goodness, let me get a look at you—oh, honey, is it true, can you possibly be even more beautiful than the last time I saw you?"

"Oh, come on." For one reason or another, Terra was the only person—in the Cleverly family, especially—that Zelda let compliment her looks. This was probably because Terra was the least shallow person in existence, and when she told someone they were beautiful, it was her version of "nice weather we're having," or "how about those Yankees?" But, at the same time, it always sounded so sincere.

"And of course, lest we forget, the crusading lawyer behind the victories of Townsend Estates, Pickett vs. Chain, and of course, most recently, Topham Motors!" Terra added, clapping Zelda on the shoulder and turning her to face their mother. "Huh? Huh? Is she great or what!"

"She's one of a kind all right," responded Mrs. Clarissa Cleverly with a feline grin, hands clasped before her in a would-be casual way. She was extraordinarily good-looking for a woman of her years; though her face was lined with age (or, as she might say, "experience), the smile made her look ten years younger and revealed a set of sparkling white teeth. Mrs. Cleverly's hair had once been a stunning chestnut color but was now graying in several places—yet somehow she pulled it off and made it look classy, perhaps partly in thanks to the majestic way in which it gently curled down towards her shoulders.

"Hello mother," Zelda said, trying extremely hard to restrain the apathy in her tone. She didn't meet Clarissa's eyes as she said this, then, after an uncomfortable pause, extended her hand.

"Ah! So formal with your own mother?" Clarissa chuckled. "Come here, baby!" She always referred to Zelda as the baby in the family, even though Zelda had three younger (half) siblings. With a slightly strangled laugh, she drew her daughter into an incredibly awkward hug, and it was easily the most uncomfortable that Link had ever seen Zelda look. He only barely managed to suppress an amused chuckle—Zelda Cleverly, the fearless attorney, terrified of a hug—and this did not go unnoticed by Terra or Clarissa, who only seemed to have just realized he was there.

"And who is your charming friend?" Terra asked, her friendly expression a deep contrast to Clarissa's suspicious one.

"Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me," Zelda murmured, stepping gracefully away from her mother and almost pushing Link forward. "This is Link, I took him on a couple of months ago to help me out… with Megan."

"Of course! We've heard so much about you!" Terra chuckled, giving Link's hand a shake. "From Megan, naturally," she added when Zelda narrowed her eyes at her.

"The nanny," Clarissa surmised, the refined tone of her voice concealing the condescending way in which she was now eying Link. "And a man, at that. I have to say, that's a refreshing change."

"I don't know if I'd call him a nanny, per se," Zelda cut in, wanting to save her employee from her mother's habit of being rude. "He is one of the most useful people I know. In addition to watching out for Megan's well-being, he tutors her, drives her wherever she needs to go, teaches her how to play sports and kid-friendly card games, is the sounding board for all her six-year-old angst, gives her advice, and has never, ever, let her down. He's like her best friend." This had all come tumbling out of Zelda's mouth in automatic defense before she'd had time to really process what she was saying; the three other people in the room eyed her with quiet surprise.

"Thank you," Link whispered, too humbled by Zelda's monologue on his behalf to notice that Clarissa Cleverly's eyes had narrowed and her brow furrowed in even deeper suspicion. Sort of the way they did when she was on the cusp of winning a case.

"Hey, where is Megan, anyway?"

"I think she's out back with the kids," Vivien answered, nodding to the bay window in the kitchen that led to the yard. "They're probably organizing a baseball game right about now… yup, there goes Jack with some of the guys to go help out with the teams." She waved when Jack peered into the kitchen, and he pointed at Link and jabbed his thumb towards the back yard. "Looks like you're being summoned, chum."

"Great," Link said with a cheerful grin. He headed for the door that Jack was waiting outside of, but before he forgot, turned around and said, "It was really nice to meet you Terra, Mrs. Cleverly."

"What a charming young man," Terra remarked once Link had left the kitchen. "Really, Zel, I like him." She winked at her little sister, who only rolled her eyes. A loud buzzer went off just then, and Terra hurried over to the oven, picking up the pot holder her mother had thrown at her a few minutes previously. "Ah, it looks perfect!"

"I thought I smelled something in here," Zelda mused, walking over to see what Terra was holding. "And I didn't think it was mother about to get all domestic on us, am I right, mom? What is that, anyway?"

"Your grandmother's chocolate cake, bless her soul," Clarissa answered. "Terra here has been working like a busy little bee to make enough of these for the weekend."

"Zel, could you get the next bowl of batter that's in the fridge?" Terra asked, searching for a new cake pan. "I've got to bake as many of these as I can before the kids all come in asking to eat the batter! I'm fine with them licking the bowl, but it's hard to dissuade them from emptying all of it into cups and just drinking it straight."

"Why don't _I _get that for you, Terra?" Malon offered, having just walked in from the back yard. She strode over to the refrigerator and emerged with an unbelievably large bowl that was full to the brim with dark, mouth-watering, liquid-y chocolate. "Ooh, this smells fabulous!"

"Thanks, Mal!" Terra laughed, taking the bowl from her and then giving her a one-armed hug. "Gosh, it's good to see you! Were you playing ball with the boys out back? And er… the kids?"

"Well, I was, but when I saw you all congregated in here I figured I wasn't really all that use to my team as the 'deep' left-fielder and that I'd come and say hello!" With a winning smile and enthusiastic voice, Malon turned on her heel to the Cleverly matriarch and said, "Clarissa, it's so good to see you!"

"Likewise, dear," Mrs. Cleverly replied, with a mechanical grin. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" She glanced at the clock as if to justify her declaration that "I'd love to catch up with you later, Malon, but I'm afraid I've been closed up in this kitchen far too long. I'd better go and socialize with everybody else."

"Sheesh," Vivien sighed once their mother had left the room. "The way she talks, you'd think this was a business party or something."

"Here, Malon, try a piece of this," Terra said, cutting a thin slice of her freshly baked cake and putting it onto a napkin. "Don't worry, I'm going to chop it up anyway so no one will be able to tell I gave out a sample."

"Nothing wrong with a little nepotism, right?" Vivien asked, sidling up to Terra with a plate after Malon had taken her piece.

Malon gravitated towards Zelda, who was standing idly by the window and appeared to be watching the baseball game with unusual interest. The two friends looked on in silence as Megan hit one way out into left field—way out. "Oops," Malon laughed, watching Vivien's boys go running after the ball. "Just goes to show what I know, maybe they could have used me after all!"

"Home run," Zelda muttered, watching her daughter go tearing around the bases (which had been improvised out of old flour sacks). "Thanks for ditching the game, Mal."

"No problem," Malon said through a mouthful of Terra's cake. "Oh my GOSH, Zel, this is the most amazing thing I have ever eaten in my entire life. Like, seriously, you have to try this." She waited for a response, but Zelda was staring out of the window in a dazed manner, not seeming to have heard her redheaded pal. Malon followed Zelda's gaze and grinned wickedly. "Or maybe you'd rather lick the batter."

Zelda didn't register what Malon meant until she realized Link was at bat. "Oh, geez, Malon, grow up! You're such a pervert!"

"Hey Zel, you've gotta try this," Vivien said, walking up to them with another piece of the cake. "Terra's outdone herself with this one."

"Nah, she's more interested in the batter," Malon teased.

"Really? I would have thought you wouldn't like to get your fingers dirty with the stuff. Bit kid-like of you, isn't it?"

"Don't be a naïf, Viv, she means Link," Zelda sighed, slapping Malon upside the head and pointing out the window.

"Ah, I see. So how long have you two been together, anyway?"

"Excuse me?" Zelda snorted, raising her eyebrows at both the question and the casual manner in which Vivien had asked it. "We're not going together, Viv."

"What? Oh, please!" Vivien crowed. "After that soliloquy praising every fiber of his being? Come on, Zellie. He's gorgeous, he clearly gets along well with Malon, and he's even more obviously infatuated with you."

"We are not having this discussion!" Zelda protested, frustrated.

"No, I think we should," Malon said eagerly from Zelda's other side. "Vivien's right. If you don't mind my saying so, Link is like the father Megan never had. I can't believe nothing's ever evolved between you two. Believe me, he is _the _nicest guy I have ever met in my entire life, and I know him a heck of a lot better than you do."

"Great. _You _go out with him, then."

"That would not be a problem with me, and trust me—it's not like I haven't tried. But Vivien is right, he's into _you_, Zelda."

"Not that line again, that's ridiculous," Zelda scoffed. "It's like you just said, he barely knows me. I haven't had a single meaningful discussion with him since that one time I 'interviewed' him months ago! I know he's nice and I know he's nice looking, and I pity him if he really did like me at all."

"Zelda, you're being too harsh on yourself," Terra scolded her. "And if you'll let me be frank—which I usually am, so you're accustomed to it—you should have heard the way you were talking about him earlier. I know, I know," she said, raising her voice slightly because Zelda opened her mouth to object. "You were just defending him in hopes of keeping mom from being incredibly rude. Well, fine. But really, Zel. You did make him out to sound like Megan's dad."

"Terra, you don't know what you're talking about," Zelda growled. "And if _I _can be frank for a minute, I have to say I'm kind of insulted."

"Insulted? Why on earth should you feel insulted? Oh wait, I know what this is," Vivien said, narrowing her eyes in that hawk-like way she did. "You're just glad you've finally found someone to watch out for Megan that she happens to like, as if Link is compensating for the lack of parental—"

"_Don't_ even go there, Vivien, don't you dare go there. I don't need a diagnosis from you, Dr. Lee, and I can't believe you'd hit me below the belt like that!"

"Zelda, have you had any serious relationships of any kind since Marth?" Terra asked quietly.

"No." It felt suddenly very discomforting that Zelda had been able to answer so quickly, without even a second thought. The silent stares of her sisters and the pitying glance of her best friend made it sink in further than it ever had: six years since the last time she had seen someone. The time had flown by as she made a name for herself in the world, got her life together, raised a child—or had she really done that last thing? "Oh Goddesses. I'm awful."

"Well, whatever you do don't look out the window," Malon advised.

Naturally, Zelda turned around and did exactly what Malon had just counseled her against: it was to see Link watching her. Seeing that she had noticed him, Link smiled crookedly and waved; Zelda returned only the latter (and half-heartedly at that) before leading her sisters out of view.

"Hmmm, something tells me they were just gossiping about you," mused Jack. The other team had called a time out, allowing Jack Cleverly a few minutes to inspect the guy his extremely picky sister had employed for so long.

"Nah, man, I don't think so," Link chuckled.

"Is it just strictly business with you two?"

"Strictly."

Jack snorted a laugh. "Let me tell you something about Zelda, Link. I know she must come off as hard, unfeeling, maybe even callous. She fancies herself a bit like Garbo, you know? Doesn't particularly like being around other people, and she's very slow to trust but quick to suspect."

"I know she's…a bit… I mean I know she does kind of like her privacy," Link commented, being careful because Jack looked like he could beat the crap out of anyone if they said the wrong thing. "But I would never call her callous. Only, has she always been this way?"

"No, she didn't always act like there was a needle up her butt," Jack answered. "You should have seen her in high school, man. Off the charts, as far as popularity was concerned! But she was a good kid, really. She never went crazy with parties or anything like that—and she never would have, because she was afraid of what dear old mom would've done to her if her grade point average ever dropped below a four-point-oh. See, old Clarissa Cleverly really started early with Zelda—got her on that insane mind track that she has to be number one; the law school inculcation started in the womb. Terra, Viv and I were lost causes, Zelda was going to be the big one, the star. Our mother was like the ultimate stage mom with her, only the Gloria Allred edition."

"I met your mother," Link said before thinking of any polite follow-ups to that sentence. "She… seemed nice."

"She _seemed _nice, yes," Jack snorted. "Boy, she made me watch Zelda's every move when we were in school together. Got any sisters, Link?"

"Nope. Only child."

"Lucky man. It guess it's hard having sisters anyway, but when they're all as beautiful as mine are, it can get tough. My friends never shut up about them, and they were always telling me I was related to the hottest girls in school and other lascivious things in that vein. I hated it, and they hated it, too. Sure they liked being popular, but I know there were times when they didn't like how they got it."

Link had to wonder why Jack was telling him all this. He wondered what kind of vibe he must be giving off to constantly have people telling them long-winded stories about the low points in their lives. Was this a bad thing? It was hard to tell. And even though Link felt this conversation was somewhat awkward—especially considering that he hadn't even known Jack for an hour—he didn't want it to end.

"You're probably wondering what my point is in all this," Jack laughed, clapping Link on the shoulder. "Well, I don't really know that I have one. I guess maybe I just wanted to give you the heads-up on my sister, the guy version. She's like stained glass, Link. That's how one of my buddies put it a while ago. Stained glass—beautiful, but there's something untouchable there, almost foreboding. And she's…" Jack fought to get out the right words. "She can break very easily if pushed the wrong way."

This was definitely the point where Link didn't want to hear any more, even though he'd never gotten the impression that Zelda was fragile in any way.

"It's not really my place to say anything else," Jack whispered darkly. "But that guy she married, that punk…" He raised the baseball bat he'd been holding and slammed the free end of it into his other palm, gripping it tightly. "What I wouldn't give to just have five minutes with him."

"Link, Uncle Jack, the game's back on!" Megan called from the infield. "Come on, let's beat these suckers!"


	11. Kismet

"_Come on Zel, what do you say we ditch these losers and go have a little fun on or own, huh?"_

_"I don't know, Marth…I'm fine staying with everyone else."_

_Marth's laugh came out in a low rumble directly in Zelda's ear; he stood behind her and clamped his arms around her waist, his chin on her shoulder. "Come on, babe. I promise they won't miss us while they're playing Twister. You promised me some alone time for my birthday, especially since we're currently spending my birthday at Malon's beach house which, I'll remind you, I did not want to do."_

_"Just a few more minutes, Marth," Zelda said quietly._

_"Nah, I know what you're doing, Cleverly." He snickered. "You're trying to buy some time, you want to debate with me. This is non-negotiable, sweetheart. Besides, I don't see what the problem is here. It's a win-win situation. You love me, I love you, we're happy together. Don't you want to cement our relationship?"_

_"Do you really love me, Marth?" Zelda whispered, feeling her resolve crumbling despite herself._

_"You know I do," he said back in a low voice, kissing the tip of her ear. "Now what do you say, huh?"_

_She wanted to cry but at the same time felt strangely elated. "All right, let's go."_

_It had hurt. She thought it was going to be incredible, the most exhilarating experience of her young life up to that point. But he had been too eager, too harsh, too inconsiderate of how she might have been feeling. When she asked him to ease up a little, he shut her up by saying his last girlfriend had liked it that way. Well, Zelda figured, she didn't want to come off as a complainer. But still—it had been her first time, and only after the fact did she discover it had come far too early._

_The scene dissolved…they were in the Cleverly family's basement…_

_"You told your mother?!" He was furious._

_"Marth, what else could I do?" Zelda whispered, sitting on the couch while he paced furiously back and forth._

_"Why didn't you tell one of your sisters first?!"_

_"You know what my mother is like, she got it out of me!" She hated having to defend herself like this against him. "Nothing goes unnoticed by her, nothing! And I can assure you that had I not said anything now, she most likely would have noticed when my stomach starting bulging out!" _

_"Not if we had just aborted the godforsaken thing!"_

_Zelda gaped at him. "How dare you even suggest that, Marth! How dare you! You know I could never do something like that! And someday, maybe not right now or next year, you'd feel excruciating guilt if we had done that!"_

_"I don't ever feel guilt for anything, Cleverly!" Marth spat at her, standing firmly in front of her as if to emphasize what he saw as his dominance over her. "Now all I know is that your lovely mother has given me an ultimatum, and frankly, I don't want to marry you, the sex was terrible!"_

_The reality and blunt honesty behind his words nearly pushed Zelda to burst into tears. It was such a low blow, but the worst part of it was that she was not even as surprised as she knew she should have been. No, scratch that—the worst part of it was that she was going to ask him for a second chance; it mortified her, yet she heard the words come spilling out of her mouth as if without her control: "Marth, please, that was my first time. I can get better."_

_"I've heard that one before," he sneered with a derisive laugh._

_"Well was that all it was to you, anyway?" Zelda shouted, launching herself to her feet. Marth jumped slightly as this sudden move, and it gladdened her that for a brief moment __she__ had been the one to pull the rug out from under __his__ feet. "You were just going out with me all this time because you wanted to get me into bed, is that it? Don't you—don't you CARE about me at all?"_

_Marth's expression changed slowly from slight astonishment to a cold smirk. "Sure I care about you, Zellie. You're my sweetheart."_

_"I don't know why I bother talking to you," she hissed, turning away when he made to cup her chin. _

_She sat herself back down on the floor. There was a very long, unpleasant silence between them that lasted several minutes. Each was waiting for the other to speak up, but Zelda was tired of being the first to say something and decided she was going to wait for Marth to talk, no matter how long it took. It ended up taking five more minutes, but she was glad of it—glad not to be the weak, pathetic one who caved first._

_"Fine," Marth said in a low, gravelly voice of defeat. He said the word like a defiant five-year-old who did not want to go to sleep at his bedtime but had been shoved into obeying by a forceful parent. "I will marry you." Zelda looked up at him as if to make sure he wasn't lying, wasn't just saying it to pacify her. His expression was difficult to read, but his tone was dark as he added, "I really pity you, Zelda Cleverly. You know that? I really pity you."_

_But pity soon turned into impatience, and impatience into anger. Even after Megan had been born, Marth didn't seem to care what effects his actions were having on his wife and young daughter. In fact as the years went by he spent less and less time with them, and on the rare nights he deigned Zelda worthy of his time, that time was usually spent—on his insistence—in the bedroom. In retrospect, Zelda found her willingness to go along with it horrifying. It went against everything her mother had ever taught her, against everything she had learned growing up in a society that encouraged women to stand up for themselves. But Marth had been her one weakness, the only boy she had ever really loved, and this blind devotion was more harrowing than she could ever have imagined. She did not let on to her family how badly things were going between the two of them, although she got the distinct impression that Viv, Terra, and Jack had an inkling as to what was going on._

_It had happened when Vivien and Terra walked in on Zelda when she was dressing one day. She had just changed into a bathing suit and had been about to pull a bathrobe over it when the door swung open. Viv and Terra had wondered why their sister had started insisting on wearing something over a bathing suit when she went swimming, but that day they stood in the door frame in shock, their expressions identical in horror at what they saw, the looks on their faces forever etched into Zelda's memory._

_"Good Goddesses, Zelda, what happened to you?!" Vivien almost yelled, taking five long strides over to her sister. She yanked the bathrobe off of Zelda, revealing a long, red scar between the young woman's shoulder blades. "That's no new scar!" Vivien snarled, intense fury in her voice at Zelda not having confided in her about whatever had happened when the scar was new. "Explain this, right now!"_

_"Vivien, calm down," Terra scolded, kicking the door shut and walking quickly to Zelda's side. "Honey, how did you get this? What happened to you?"_

_Zelda's eyes shifted from one to the other—the doctor Vivien's enraged, vengeful expression and Terra's solicitous, solemn one—before she collapsed onto a chair, waiting for tears to come. They never did; she figured she must have used them all up months ago. "I—I fell and—"_

_"Don't give us that crap, Zelda, you tell us what really happened," Vivien interrupted her, a hard edge to her voice that signaled she was not to be messed with (it sounded like their mother's voice)_

_"Zelda," Terra whispered, gently pushing some of Zelda's hair behind her ear. "Be honest. Did Marth do this to you?"_

_Vivien's eyes narrowed, her eyebrows knit together. Zelda's gaze moved to the ground and she emitted a low whine. "Y-yes," she whimpered with a dry sob. Vivien swore loudly, but Terra quieted her and waited for Zelda to go on. "He was just really angry, and I—I think he was drunk, but he hadn't been home for a week and—and I was just really upset when he finally got home, and h-he didn't like that I was y-yelling at him, and—and then he took that vase Jack got me for my birthday and—"_

_"Zelda Nayru Cleverly, are you telling me he threw that thing at you when your back was turned?" Vivien asked, her voice a dangerous whisper. Zelda nodded weakly and Viv swore again. "HOW could you not say anything about this?!"_

_"I didn't want for something to go wrong," Zelda said, though she felt her words sounded utterly empty as she said them. "You don't understand, I—I really love him, I wish to the Goddesses that I didn't, but I do! And he's Megan's father, I can't—"_

_"Holy Din, that scar by Megan's eyebrow," Vivien once more interjected. "She didn't run into a table at all, did she?" When Zelda's only response was a lengthy silence, Vivien made for the door. "That's it, he is history."_

_"Viv, what are you going to do?" Zelda cried, leaping out of her chair._

_"Well I hate to do this, Zelda, but if you're just going to sit around and let yourself be abused, I'm saying something to mother." The threat was a good one; Zelda's eyes widened in horror and disbelief. "Don't look at me like that! Mom's sent guys to jail that have done less than Marth! The very LEAST you can ask of him is a divorce! Neglect, abuse, you could probably even throw a couple of DUI's in there. Zelda, you are stronger than this! You're better! I can't believe that you of all people would just sit here and let this happen to you and not do anything about it! If not for yourself, you could at least think of your daughter and her well-being!"_

_"But I love…I love him," Zelda insisted, pulling the bathrobe up around her tightly. "Viv, I can't—"_

_"Stop thinking of yourself, Zel, I mean it!" Vivien said so loudly that Terra stepped between her two sisters, as if worried that Viv would slap Zelda. "I have no idea in hell how you could have possibly stayed in love with this jerk after high school, but fine, that's your prerogative! You want to let him throw things at you and hit you and leave you alone all the time? Fine! Go ahead! But the idea that you'd let him do the same thing to a little girl makes me sick, it really does!"_

_Zelda stared at her. It was true, it was all true. Hearing it from somebody else threw the entire, sick thing into a whole new perspective. She hadn't been thinking of Megan nearly as much as she should have. Looking to Terra for some advice, Zelda said, "I really screwed up this time, didn't I?"_

_"Oh, honey," Terra sighed. "You have to do what's right. This is it."_

_"When __exactly__ did this happen to you, anyway? That's what I want to know," Vivien said, indicating the scar on Zelda's back._

_It was horrible—she could remember every tormenting detail—Marth was yelling "Don't you turn your back on me, you slut!"—something hard, heavy, and glass hit her on the back—there was a shriek of shock from the stairs; Zelda looked up from her position on the floor and saw her three-year-old daughter standing there, appearing horrified at what she was seeing; "Go back upstairs, Megan, now."—"Mommy, mommy, what'd he do to you?!"—"You heard your mother, Megan, go upstairs NOW!" Marth roared; when the girl did not immediately obey, he charged towards her—_

Zelda could not remember the last time she woke up screaming; in fact, she did not believe she ever had. But tonight, tonight …it had been such a horrendous nightmare of memories that she had to wonder if she had even been screaming out loud all through it. As soon as she realized she was awake, Zelda clamped a hand over her mouth to silence the noise. She didn't work quickly enough, though: only a few moments later, Malon and Terra came rushing into the room. Malon was holding a heavy flashlight in her hand and brandishing it like a saber; Terra held one of Vivien's heavy, old soccer trophy in both of hers.

"Good Lord, Zelda, we thought you were getting attacked!" Malon hissed, walking over to Zelda's bed and sitting herself down at the end of it. "What on earth just happened, here?"

"What time is it?" Zelda moaned.

"It's only 9:30," Terra answered.

"What am I doing in bed?"

"You said you were tired, remember?" Malon replied. "Don't worry, we were the only ones in the hall who heard you, so… go on, dish. What just happened?"

"Nothing. Just a bad dream."

Six rooms down the hall, Link was putting Megan to bed. "Link, I'm afraid that I'm going to have bad dreams," she whispered as Link pulled the covers over her. "I always do when I'm staying at someone else's house."

"That's a silly idea," Link chuckled. "You didn't have any bad dreams last night, did you?"

"Yes."

"Oh. What was it about, do you want to talk about it?"

Megan sat up a little in her bed, looking apprehensive. She nervously started to finger one of her braids, and then spoke with a reverence that Link had never heard her—let alone a six-year-old—use before. "Link, I'm gonna tell you something, but I want you to keep it a secret. You can't tell anybody."

Supposing that she was just embarrassed about what she was scared of, Link laughed and said, "All right, I promise."

With continued seriousness, Megan said, "I know why my mom and dad aren't married anymore. Mom doesn't think I remember." Her voice remained low and quiet, as if she was afraid that anyone might be listening in at the door or (the second story) window. Link's jovial attitude evaporated immediately, and it was with the utmost gravity that he listened to Megan's explanation. "I figured out after a while that mom didn't want me to ask her about why they got divorced. So I stopped, but then one day I just remembered all of a sudden what it was. I was really little, like two or three …I know, that's weird, I don't know how I could remember anything from when I was so young, and maybe I really don't, I… I just can remember seeing dad and he threw something at mom and she fell down, I think it was one of those glass things you put flowers in, and… then they both saw me, and dad, when I wouldn't leave mom, he hit me." Her voice had a strange, detached quality to it, as if she had run the story through her mind so many times that it didn't have an effect on her.

Needless to say, the same thing could not be said of Link. "Your father hit you?" he whispered, utter disbelief coursing through his body. "And he threw stuff at your mother?" Everyone from Jack to Malon had told Link what a jerk Marth was, but he had never imagined that the man could have been _that _cruel. It made sense now, though. Why Zelda was so hard, why she was afraid to trust people. It explained why she felt so awkward around Megan, maybe feeling responsible for the scar that was so visible by her daughter's eyebrow. It was a physical, daily reminder of the worst choice she had ever made—staying married to that man.

Link got up off the foot of Megan's bed and headed for the door. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you, Link?" she called plaintively after him.

"No," he said, though he knew that probably wouldn't end up being true. "Now good-night, Megan." He turned around to shut the door, then glimpsed outside the window. A smile half-heartedly found its way onto his face. "Look outside, Megs. It's started to snow."

That did exactly what Link had hoped it would do; Megan was so distracted and excited by this idea that she whipped around immediately to see out of the window. "Oh my gosh!! I can't believe it! It's snow! Link, can I go play in it now, please??"

"Tomorrow, Megs," he answered. "Just think how much more fun that'll be, anyway. A lot more of it will have fallen. Good night." He heard Megan reflect the farewell and as he slowly shut the door, found himself glad that she could now fall asleep to the idea of snow rather than the recollection of her abusive father…

"Hey, Link, putting Megan to bed?" asked Malon, meeting him in the hall.

"Yes," he said shortly. "Do you know where Ms. Cleverly is?"

"Zel? Yeah, she just went outside," Malon said warily. "Now that everyone's come in, you know. But she saw the snow and grabbed this ragged old jacket she's got and so now she's sitting in the backyard." Her eyes narrowed. "Why? If you're looking for a heart-to-heart, this really isn't a good time."

"There never will be a good time for what I need to discuss with her," Link said, and he passed a confused Malon without another word. Jack and Vivien invited him to join them in the living room, but he waved them off; he entered the kitchen and Terra tried to waylay him with a fresh batch of cookies she had made, but Link ignored her and walked straight out the screen door and into the backyard. There, just as Malon had said, was Zelda. She was sitting in a lawn chair, practically in the dark as Vivien had just turned off the porch light. Snow fell around and on her, but she didn't seem to care as she stared unblinkingly up at the sky.

Although she was caught off guard when Link suddenly appeared beside her, she did not betray it at all. "Hello," she said quietly.

Link pulled a stool out from under the porch table and placed it next to his boss. He sat down and said, "I just had an interesting talk with your daughter."

"Oh, yes?"

"Yes." No beating around the bush. It didn't occur to him that maybe Zelda did not want to talk about this, especially with an employee, but he didn't care. He was so infuriated with this man she had been married to and needed to find out if what Megan had alleged was true. "She informed me precisely why you and your husband are no longer together."

To his surprise, Zelda chuckled softly. "Okay, which was it this time? Megan likes to tell herself things to justify our divorce. One time she imagined he left me for Britney Spears. Another time he got so allergic to our dog that he just couldn't stay in the house anymore. Which was it, Link, Britney or the Doberman? Or was there some new slant to it this time? I really should start keeping a journal of all her ideas, some of them really are quite creative."

"If she made this one up, her imagination is a bit darker than I thought," Link said, now watching Zelda for a reaction. "She said he hit her. And he threw a glass vase at you." Each syllable was said slowly and deliberately, and the effect worked.

Zelda turned her head to look at him, her expression simultaneously conveying shock and paramount grief. For several long moments, Zelda stared Link in the face, as if hoping he would deny what he had just said. No such luck. "She _knows?_" Zelda whispered, the agony in her voice matching the look on her face. "She knew this whole time what happened?"

"Don't know how, but she did."

"No…I tried _so _hard to keep her from that, so she'd never have to know." She put her face in her hands, her breathing suddenly coming out shallow and ragged.

"Zelda."

She looked back at him. It was the first time she had ever heard him call her by her first name. It sounded so beautiful with his voice, so reassuring and kind. Maybe it was just because he had whispered it, and those were words one usually associated with a whisper… but no; Marth had spoken her name that quietly to her before, and there was nothing in his tone but lust and darkness. As much as this meant to her, Link didn't seem to have noticed how informal he had suddenly become and he plowed right on.

"I'm…so sorry," he said. "That sounds really lame and it doesn't sum up what I'd really like to express here, but it's all I can say. But it makes my blood boil to think that a man could do something so—so evil to a woman like you and to a child."

"How do you mean that?" Zelda asked him. Link was looking down at the snowy ground, and even though he didn't glance up, Zelda knew she had to elaborate. "How do you mean, a woman like me?"

Link sighed heavily, folding his arms against the cold. "Never mind, I don't want to offend you, Ms. Cleverly. Whatever I have to say might insult you, and I don't want to lose my job over a comment and I don't want to hurt you, Ms. Cleverly."

"Link, you can't hurt me anymore than anyone else has. And please, just call me Zelda." Her voice was so incredibly gentle, she was pleading with him, and it was a side of her he had never heard before. "Tell me what you meant, be as frank as you want. I'm tired of people twisting their words and never getting around to what it really is they mean to say. Please."

"All right. From what I gather, you…" He remembered his conversation with Jack the previous evening, and various stories that Malon had told him. "You are fragile. You're fragile, and for a long time you wanted only to please other people. Your mother, and then this guy you married."

"Oh…" She figured Malon must have told him a lot about Clarissa, and she had probably been assisted by all of Zelda's siblings at this family get-together in further illustrating Zelda's less-than-stellar childhood. She suddenly felt very warm, and noticed that Link—whose light sweater was hardly appropriate for the cold, snowy weather outside—was now shivering violently. Without thinking twice she shrugged off the jacket she had been wearing, the stranger's jacket that she'd kept for six years to comfort her. "Here, take this."

"What? I'm fine."

"You're freezing."

"So are you."

"I am not, I'm fine." As if to prove this, Zelda leaned over and touched Link's cheek with her fingers. His skin was icy cold, where hers (he had to admit) were noticeably less so. She tossed the jacket at him and he reluctantly put it on.

"Say," he chuckled as he got the feel for the thing. "I think I used to have a jacket just like this." He peered at the lining and actually let out a laugh—the most beautiful sound Zelda had heard in a long while. "Hey, red plaid! I _did _have a jacket just like this one." He put his hands in the pockets as he had no gloves, and felt a small slip of paper in one of them. Curiously and without remembering that it was in fact that jacket of someone else (or so he thought), Link pulled the paper out and peered at it closely.

"Oh, goodness, is that garbage in there?" Zelda asked, now starting to get cold without the jacket. She didn't want to rescind her offer, though, so she put on a convincing act of not being cold in the snow at all. As Link brought the tiny paper closer to his eyes, she apologized, "I haven't even looked in the pockets of those things for years, I'm sorry."

"It looks like a ticket stub," Link said shortly. "Can you make out what it says?"

She didn't need to look, so she didn't take the stub when he tried to hand it to her. "_Little Women_, 1994. That's actually the jacket of the guy that I…"

All at once, it hit her. Link was staring at her, and after a few moments the same realization had struck Zelda. Her head whipped over to look at him, and their eyes met, tacitly conveying the message that was going through both of their minds at the same exact time. One night, six years ago, when two lonely strangers had sat through a depressing period piece together—escaping, as it was, from their own miserable lives for two hours before going back into their separate worlds.

"No," Zelda whispered. "You? Link?"

"_Zelda_!" he gasped quietly. How could he have possibly forgotten? To be fair, he had tried not to think of that night for the last six years, of the solemn beauty he had met and talked with for so long. It was incredible that after having spent so much time in the home of Zelda Cleverly, he had been unable to place her. She still had those beautiful, sorrowful, lavender eyes; a face that altogether looked as if it had been sculpted by a sad angel, how—_how _could he not have placed her?! And now, all he could think to ask wasn't even directly related to that. "Zelda, that guy. That punk with the blue hair, the one who passed out drunk—is he—?"

"Yes," she answered, utterly ashamed that the sweet and kind boy who had helped her escape her troubles had now met up with her again and knew some of the most awful things about her. "Sometimes I would …I'd think about that night and wish that no one had ever brought Marth home. Remember how we just left him there, and you said people always passed out at that theater, Marth was no special case?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah. Oh… Link…" She couldn't place the last time she had cried, but tears were now trickling slowly down her cheeks. "Link, you don't know, you have _no _idea how much the memory of… that night sustained me all these years. Whenever I felt alone or afraid, I'd just pull out your old jacket, and I'd put it on. Sometimes, I'd even …I'd even sleep in it." That last part was a little embarrassing to admit, but Zelda figured that there were no secrets anymore.

"I tried to forget it," Link said. "I didn't want to remember how dismayed I was when I found out you were with that guy, and you'd be leaving soon." He laughed, and it was an odd, mirthless noise. "You were something else, Zelda. Still are."

Tears were coming freely now, and they kept Zelda from speaking. She tried to remain silent, but soon a little sob come out of her throat; Link quickly looked back at her, and saw her hand once again reaching up to her mouth to shut herself up; a gag reflex. Link reached out and took Zelda's wrist, carefully guiding her hand away from her lips. "It's okay, Zel, it's okay," he said quietly. "A Cleverly can cry if she wants to."

That was all it took, someone else's approval. Zelda drew her legs up to her chest on the chair, and an unapologetic wail escaped her throat. She couldn't believe that after all these months, the man who had been so patient with her, so kind and understanding, so perfectly wonderful had been the same one to give her the only happy night of her entire life. This was not to mention the world of good he had done her daughter. How could she have waited so long to even think about it? Malon, Vivien, Terra, they were all right—she should have let down the walls when she was around him, the walls that carefully guarded her every trait.

The chair was roomy, and after a few moments' hesitation, Link moved up off of the stool and onto the chair next to Zelda. His arms fell into place around her shoulders, gently pulling her closer to him. Grateful initially for the warmth that his closeness brought about, Zelda buried her tear-streaked face into the familiar, comforting fabric of his jacket. The jacket on its original owner. Her legs were still drawn up, her arms shoved together to fight off the cold. Yesterday she never would have dreamed of crying in the presence of Link, her child's nanny, let alone into his shoulder. But tonight, crying on the boy who had given her hope, even for only a few short hours, seemed the most natural thing in the world.

They stayed that way for several long minutes. Terra had opened the blinds to see what was going on, and when her jaw dropped, Malon and Vivien (who had since joined her in the kitchen) hurried over to the window. They too were shocked at what they saw, which was a view from behind of Zelda huddled into Link on the same porch chair. The three women exchanged a look that signified none of them was going to interrupt; Terra shut the blinds and they all walked away and out of the kitchen, hoping that no one else would go in and disturb whatever it was that was going on outside.

The volume and intensity of Zelda's crying had diminished slightly, but the tears were still rolling out of her eyes and she still shuddered from both the chill and the half-formed sobs. It was effortless, even natural, when Link brushed some hair out of Zelda's face and kissed her cheek. His lips caught a tear as it was on its way down Zelda's cheek; he traced its line up to her eye. Zelda shivered violently and put a hand weakly on Link's chest, giving herself a slight push away from him.

She looked at him in disbelief, unwilling to consider that he had done that on purpose. But there was a certain look in his eyes, one that she didn't even realize she was reflecting: although she had never seen it in a man's gaze, she could recognize it almost immediately for what it was. Love. He loved her. He wasn't trying to undermine her or get something from her, he wanted only to give something _to _her. It was a completely selfless, adoring, calming look in his eyes.

"How can you look at me that way?" she asked, her voice thick with the tears she had now managed to restrain.

"What way?" he asked back.

"Like you…" It would be childish to say out loud. Though there was such little space between them, Zelda raised one hand and gingerly placed it on Link's cheek. Their foreheads touched a few moments later, and for a few seconds this was enough to placate both of them. Skin on skin. Then Zelda moved her head ever so slightly, her lips reaching up to touch Link's.

_This is what it should have been like_, was the first thought that came to her mind. _My first kiss, this should have been it_. But soon her head had no more room for thoughts as she became more involved in and aware of what she was doing. Link was gentle, careful as he returned the kiss, slowly moving one arm down towards Zelda's waist. His only concern was that his every move be good and comfortable for her, and the incredible part was that Zelda could tell this without him saying anything. Without breaking the kiss, she shifted her position in the chair so that her arms could close around him. Each time their mouths opened for air she half-expected him to try and slip in the tongue, but this was Link, not Marth, who she was dealing with.

"I think I love you," she whispered during one such moment when their lips had separated. She kissed him again, touching his face, his back, his arms, his chest, as if memorizing every contour of his upper body. "I really think I do."

"If that's so," Link whispered, pulling himself away slightly (and allowing Zelda to catch her breath), "why are you still crying like that?"

"Because I don't understand how—how somebody as amazing as you are could possibly stand someone as awful as me," Zelda replied sadly, wiping away the tears that had resurfaced.

"Zelda, listen to me, you are far from awful," Link said, and she looked at him. "_Every_one deserves love. You are no exception."

"Then…you…" It would be far too much to hope.

"I do," he said, drawing Zelda into him again. "I love you, Zelda." The sincerity of his tone convinced Zelda right away, and she all too gladly found herself kissing him once more.


	12. I Didn't Mean It

"Are they in there together?"

"I think so, Terra."

"Do you think that they…?"

"No way, Link's too much of a gentleman and Zelda… well, I think Zel has been pretty careful in that area since her divorce."

"Let's not jump to conclusions, there, Mal. We all know Zelda can be prone to get emotional when she's forced out of that stupid bubble of hers—and if you ask me, kissing Link like that last night was pretty out of the bubble. And just because Link is a nice guy doesn't mean he wouldn't want to jump into bed with my sister the moment that the opportunity arrived."

"Viv, don't be so cynical!"

Malon, Vivien, and Terra were whispering outside of Zelda's bedroom door, the morning after she and Link had shared several amorous moments. The three women were all but listening at the keyhole, trying to figure out if Link and Zelda were both in there and if they were awake and, if so, were the talking to each other? Kissing? Making out? Doing what Malon still jokingly referred to as "the nasty?"

"Dude, what do you think you are _doing?!_" Vivien hissed, slapping Malon's arm as the redhead reached forward and grabbed the doorknob.

"I'm going to put an end to this stupid suspense!" Malon said back through her teeth as she slowly twisted the knob. She and Zelda's sisters waited with bated breath as Malon, moving at a snail's pace, gently pulled the door back. It was completely silent for a few moments until a loud creaking noise broke the air, bringing Malon to an immediate stop. She, Vivien, and Terra quickly looked into the room, hoping that the sound hadn't disturbed those inside.

As it transpired, they didn't need to worry. Zelda lay on her bed, fully clothed and in Link's old jacket to boot. Even when it had been worn by its original owner six years previously, it had been too big for him—so now, it was almost large enough to pass for a blanket on Zelda, who was comparatively short of stature. At first glance she appeared to be alone in the room, but by turning their heads slightly towards the left, the women looking in could see Link.

He was sitting in a chair by the night stand, leaned over slightly with his hands clasped together in front of him; just staring. The set up of the furniture and the serious expression on Link's face made it look as if he was a guest visiting a friend on a hospital bed. He had heard the door being cracked open, and out of the corner of his eye he could see some people trying to watch him discreetly. But he had ignored them, keeping his gaze on Zelda as she slept. Their evening had _not_—as Malon wondered despite herself, as Terra had guessed and Vivien had hoped—resulted in sex.

After spending quite a while outside in the snow, Zelda had walked back into the house, tacitly inviting Link to follow her back to her room. There, Zelda had kept them both up until three-thirty in the morning detailing to Link hundreds of memories from her childhood and her disastrous marriage that she hadn't ever before shared with anyone. Link, who had always been a good listener, threw in advice where he saw fit but most of the time did just the most important thing he could have done: validated Zelda's feelings. As a girl, Zelda had been controlled by her mother; as she grew up, her sisters didn't bother to consider the complexity of the relationship and just assumed that Zelda hadn't wanted any of the things their mother had helped her achieve—a somewhat naïve notion, and even though none of them had ever meant to be, the girls had occasionally been condescending in their treatment of their "baby" sister. Then Marth, of course, was an entirely different, horrifying story.

But finally, Zelda had utterly exhausted herself and after a long silence, drifted into sleep. At one point she had been occupying the chair that was now vacant next to Link, but once she had dozed off, Link had carefully transferred her onto the bed. From there he sat back down and watched her sleep, finding her fascinating. It was the only time he had ever seen a peaceful expression on her face. Once or twice her face was graced with a small smile, and Link hoped it was because of a good dream Zelda might be having. She deserved at least that much.

He hadn't gotten even a moment of sleep for the entire night.

It was time to face the people at the door. As lightly and quietly as possible, Link got to his feet and walked across the room to them. Malon, Vivien, and Terra backed up to give him space as he slid through the crack between the wall and the door that they had left. He finally smiled wearily at the sight of their anxious faces.

"Well?" Vivien asked him in a hushed voice, raising her eyebrows.

"No. Your sister and I did not do anything last night but talk."

"_Please_, we saw you guys making out on the porch!" Malon said.

Link's smile faltered, but then he let out a soft chuckle. "Okay, you saw that. I swear to you, that's all that happened."

"We have to believe you, I mean, unless Zelda went to the trouble of putting all those clothes back on like she guessed that we would come and try to see if anything happened between you two," Terra said in one breath. "In fact, that's totally something she would do. But far be it from me to make any moral judgments on her…"

"Ask her yourselves if you want to," Link said, completely at ease because he knew he was telling the truth.

They all narrowed their eyes at him, trying to discern if he was being honest. It was hard, especially for Terra and Vivien, to trust guys with Zelda. But after they had each considered it, Terra said, "I've got breakfast going downstairs, Link, if you want some. The kids all woke up two hours ago to go and play and the snow—Megan's having a ball, I don't think she'll ever want to move back to sunny California now."

Link smiled gratefully, nodded, and followed Terra down the hallway and the stairs to the kitchen. Vivien made for Zelda's bedroom, and Malon was about to do the same before Jack came charging up the staircase.

"Malon, there you are," he said. "Megan's been looking for you, she wants to talk to you. Or build a snowman with you or something."

"That's funny, usually Link's the one she'd go to if she wanted to do something like that," Malon remarked, shrugging and following Jack down the stairs. She stopped at the back door to put on her coat, and had to smile at the sight she saw outside. There were at least fifteen of Clarissa Cleverly's grandkids running around in the picturesque winter scene outdoors: throwing snowballs, making forts and snow angels, picking long icicles off of the house and sword-fighting with them. Megan seemed isolated, off by a side of the yard away from the other children as she struggled with a large ball of snow.

"Hey, kiddo, what's going on?" Malon asked, once she'd gotten her boots on and had ventured outside.

Megan looked up and smiled; her cheeks were pink with the cold. "Hey, Malon! Could you help me make a snowman? Everyone else is too busy making up teams for a snowball fight they wanna have later. I don't think I'd be any good at that, so…"

"Well, I'm not an expert, but I can sure _try _to help you out," Malon offered. "Is this the first time you've ever been in snow?"

"Yes!" Megan laughed, and even though she was shivering pretty noticeably, it could not be more clear that she was having an amazing time. "Do you think my mom's gonna wake up soon? She's never seen snow, either!"

_Not until last night, anyway, _Malon thought wryly to herself. "Yeah, if she's not down here in a while, I'll go up and drag her butt outside!"

For a few minutes they worked on the snowman, talking only about how to make it as big and pretty as possible. Malon taught Megan how to pack in the snow so that their creation wouldn't crumble, and after working silently in this vein for a while, Megan brought up a new subject.

"Malon, you like my mom, right?"

"Honey, I love your mom," Malon said in response. "We've been best friends for as long as I can remember."

"Oh. Cool." Another silence. Then, "She's really pretty, right? And you guys are friends. Why isn't she married, Malon?"

Malon stared at her, wondering what kind of answer she could possibly give. She got distracted when one of Vivien's kids threw a snowball that hit her square in the back; Malon whirled around threw one that hit the kid in the chest. He went down with a dramatic shout. Malon turned around, hoping maybe that Megan might have forgotten her question with the coolness of the snowball throw, but no dice.

"Um…honestly, Megan? That's something only your mother knows. I mean, it's not always love at first sight!"

"What's love at first sight?"

"What's…well…it's like, the first time you meet someone, you fall in love with them. Right away. Zip, bam, boom, no questions asked. You know, like Cinderella or Snow White or one of those people."

Megan looked confused for a moment. "Oh right, I've heard of them."

"You've _heard_ of them?" Malon asked. "Honey, you've seen the movies, haven't you?" She was dumbfounded when Megan continued to stare blankly back at her. "The Disney movies, Megan?"

"Disney movies," Megan finally said, with a knowing look on her face. "Mom never let me watch those."

Malon had to work hard to keep her jaw from dropping. "Giroux," she muttered darkly, recalling the name of a very anti-Disney writer whose work Zelda had read. In a louder voice, Malon said, "I'll be talking to your mother about that."

"Well, that's not really important," Megan said impatiently, pulling down the sleeves of her jacket so they would meet the bottom of her mittens. "I asked you because I think that Link's in love with my mom. And I think that if she stopped running around doing work for five minutes, she would be in love with him, too."

"Wow, Megan." Malon now had to work even harder not to burst out laughing. The girl had hit the nail on the head—but Malon did not feel it was her place to tell Megan what exactly had gone down only last night. She'd let Zelda handle that one... whenever she decided to get up… Malon glanced at the Zelda's bedroom window on the second story, and was surprised to see Zelda standing there, looking out. She waved down at Malon, then turned around when the bedroom door closed behind her.

"Are you feeling all right now?" Link asked her, having been the one to shut the door and now walking slowly towards Zelda.

"Oh, goodness…Link I'm so embarrassed at my behavior last night, crying all over you, _dumping _all of that on you, it was so careless of me," Zelda said. It was strange; as if brought on by the snow and ice outside, there was now definitely a colder, more formal edge to Zelda's voice that was reminiscent of how she had usually spoken to Link before last night. "I promise you it won't happen again."

Link put his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground. Zelda, still wearing his coat, was standing by the window with an imperious look on her face. The Ice Queen. Before Link could ask anything, Zelda went on, "I can sometimes let my feelings get the better of me…well, I mean to say that I usually don't anymore, I don't know what came over me last night." _Yes I do. I realized how much I love you. _Dismissing this thought, Zelda repeated, "Really, it won't happen again."

"No?" Link asked with a shrug. "It won't ever, huh? Why's that?"

Zelda still refused to look at him, preferring instead to stare out at the snow, but her brow furrowed and she pulled the jacket closer to herself. "Well, in retrospect it kind of made me feel uncomfortable, and so I can only imagine that if that's how it made _me_ feel, you must have been in an even more awkward situation than me."

"Don't go jumping to conclusions, now," Link said, taking a few steps closer to her. He stepped to the side of the window, in case for some reason Clarissa was outside and looked up and saw him in the bedroom with her daughter—who looked as if she might not be wearing anything underneath that large jacket she was hugging to her body (which wasn't the case). To solve this, Link pulled roughly on the drapes, and they closed dramatically. Zelda winced and finally looked over at him.

"Come on, Link," she muttered. "Be fair."

"No, _you_ be fair, Zelda Cleverly," he said back, using a much more assertive tone than he ever had with her. "I don't care whether or not you're fair to me, but at least be fair to yourself." No reaction. "Oh. Oh, I see what this is about now." He chuckled dryly. "What is it, boss? You want to be tough? Want everyone to be afraid of you? Last night you opened to me for this first time, and I get the feeling you hadn't done that to anyone in quite a while. Don't you get it? I _want _to help you."

"I don't need any help, Link," Zelda said through her teeth.

"Oh, yeah? If that's so, why don't you drop that vice grip you've got there on _my _jacket, then, huh?"

Throwing him a withering look, Zelda bit her lip from saying something she might regret. With sudden, vindictive force, she took the jacket off as if it had burned her. She made to throw it at Link, but found herself unable to let go of it. Instead, her arm swayed out in front of her, with the jacket slung over her arm. In his mind, Link counted to ten with the best poker face he could muster. In just those ten seconds, he saw Zelda's expression slip from shaky confidence to indescribable sadness.

"Please, Link," she said in a hoarse voice. "Please, take it."

Link shook his head in disbelief. Didn't she remember last night at all? _She _had kissed _him_, repeatedly! And then spilled her life story on his lap. Why then, this morning, was she stiff as a board and unwilling to pick up where they had left off? He wondered briefly how she would react if he were to push her back on that bed and—

_Oh, Goddesses, what am I thinking?! _he said internally, disgusted with himself for even getting the idea in his mind. _She's so vulnerable, how I could even possibly entertain that thought for one second? I'm no better than Marth_. Feeling a little sick to his stomach, Link spared Zelda one more look before crossing the room and exiting it, opening and closing the door much louder than he had meant to.

Naturally, Zelda misinterpreted this for anger and/or annoyance with her. Not that she could blame him; she was acting like a complete jerk. After standing there numbly for a few moments, she gently sat herself back down on the bed, Link's jacket in her lap. How could she have possibly been so terrible to him just now, when _all _he wanted to do was help her? He had said last night that he loved her…and she…well, actually, she had been the first one to say that she loved him. The words had just come out…

"ZELDA!"

She jumped and nearly fell off the bed at the unexpectedness and volume of her best friend shouting her name. Unseen by her at first, Malon had come into the bedroom and now (slamming the door shut behind her) stalking towards the bed with a look on her face not unlike that a charging rhinoceros might wear.

"_What _in hell or high water were you THINKING?!"

"Malon, what are you talking about?" Zelda asked wearily.

"I've been outside with Megan, and just a minute ago Link comes downstairs and out with a—a look on his face I've never seen there before, it just wasn't natural! Not on him! He was crestfallen, he was _hurt_, and I know he came directly from this room! Tell me what you did that was so awful to that sweet, love-struck boy down there, the one who would follow you to the ends of the earth, the one who would do just about anything short of murder for you! Tell me!"

"Malon, please, you have to understand!" Zelda said, tears threatening to come out of her eyes. She blinked—and come they did. "You don't know what it's like, Mal, you have no idea!"

The redhead stared at her. "Zel…are you _crying?_"

"No!" Zelda sobbed, leaning over and planting her face in a pillow.

Not for the life of her could Malon recall the last time she had seen Zelda cry. If, in fact, she ever had. The sight was so heart-breaking, that Malon almost forgot why she had come up in the first place. Well, she supposed, she could try and be a little more sympathetic. Malon sat down next to Zelda on the bed, trying to pull her friend up. It took quite a bit of effort to get Zelda into a sitting position, and when she was, it took her a few moments to become coherent.

"I haven't…I haven't been a serious relationship—_any _relationship—since Marth and I got divorced," Zelda said, choking through her tears. "And last night, h-he kissed me, and I just…it was so…" She took a deep breath and let out a strange laugh, brief and mirthless—a noise that made Malon feel as bad as the sight of Zelda crying, because the laugh seemed to mock not only others but the laugher herself. "I let myself get too carried away," Zelda finished in a hollow voice. "And this morning it just all came roaring back to me, what happened the last time I loved someone so much."

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. "Look, Zelda, can you take some constructive criticism? Well, what am I saying, you're a lawyer, sure you can!" Malon said bracingly, tightening her grip on Zelda's arm. "You are one of the most intelligent people that I know, Zelda. It scares me how much your last name suits you. But it always used to blow my mind that you could be so blindly in love with a jerk like Marth, no offense."

"None taken," Zelda snorted. "I was an idiot in the highest degree."

"No, not yet you weren't," Malon said. "The title of 'idiot in the highest degree' would belong only to someone who couldn't see that one of the world's most perfect guys was madly in love with her. Marth …was not ever in love with you. Truth hurts, babe, you've got to come to terms with it. Marth was only ever interested in you because ....well, let's face it, you were—well, you still are—pretty much the sexiest creature on this planet, yes?"

Zelda whimpered a weak chuckle. "Oh, sure."

"Really, Zel, I want to know. Do you have any sort of… I mean, could you just tell me what it was? What drew you to Marth and kept you tied to him for so long?"

Long, wistful sigh. "Oh, Mal…what difference does it make now? I can't really explain it. I mean, I don't know, mom always raised me to believe that if there was anything I wanted in this world, I could get it if I worked for it. I was a kid the first time I met Marth, barely in high school. He was everything a freshman girl could want—he was gorgeous, the teachers loved him, he was an athlete, and he… he was into me. He felt like any moment he spent _not _kissing me or touching me was a moment wasted, and I thought that was so romantic."

"And your ideas of romance did not change as time wore on?"

"Well, I just couldn't picture being with anyone else. Marth was the only person I'd ever been on a date with, the only boyfriend I ever had. Look at my home life, Mal, it's not like I had a steady example for me with my mom. I just took it for granted that every guy would have his faults, and who else would ever want to be with me, anyway?"

_Seriously? _Malon had to count to ten again to keep herself from smacking Zelda upside the head. "I don't know, who _would _want to be with you, Zel, when all you do is pity yourself behind that tough, hard-as-nails exterior you like to hide behind? Maybe you could have gotten some respect from Marth—respect for _yourself_—if you had stood up to him once in a while! Geez, who raised you to be all obsequious?!"

"Not my mom, that's for sure," Zelda said thickly. "Maybe that was it. Maybe because it was a decision I could make on my own, that she couldn't interfere in, maybe that's why I wanted to keep it going, I…I don't know."

"Zel, tell me whatever it is you DO know," Malon pleaded. "Or how about this, wanna hear more of my obnoxious spin? You thought Marth fondling and trying to get his tongue in you was romantic? Here's what _I _think is romantic: the first snow of the year, in the evening. Sharing a chair, sharing a jacket. Having the opportunity to sleep with you, to _do_ _you_—and yet _not _take advantage of your emotional state, and instead just let you vent. Watching you sleep, like a freaking guardian angel or something. _That _iswhat I think constitutes romance. A lot better than anything Nicholas Sparks could ever dream up, I'll tell you that." She let this sink in, and was satisfied by the effect it seemed to be having on her friend. "Can't you tell the difference at all between your feelings for Marth and the ones you have for Link?"

"I just don't want to get hurt again," Zelda whispered.

"Oh, for the love of—" Grumbling incoherently, Malon vaulted off the bed and walked over to the window, opening the curtains loudly. "Look! Come and have a look at him, Zel!" She tapped her foot impatiently as Zelda dragged herself out of the bed and leaned against the wall just beside the window, so she could look out of it without being seen. "Do you see him, right there?" Malon asked, pointing. Link was holding a box of raisins and a carrot, helping Megan to finish the snowman that Malon had assisted her to start. "Does he look like the kind of guy who would _ever _hurt you?"

Zelda couldn't say anything. She was enamored with the way that this impossibly kind man was playing with her daughter. With a jolt, Zelda remembered what Link had told her last night, about Megan knowing the truth about her horrendous father. "I should really go and, um… talk to Megan about something," Zelda muttered.

"Hey, that reminds me," Malon said when Zelda was halfway to the door. "I was talking to Megan this morning. She's a pretty perceptive kid, I must say. I guess she gets it from you. Anyway, she has a hunch that Link's in love with you. And she's pretty sure that you're in love with him, too."

"From the mouths of babes," Zelda said with a small smile.

"Zel, are you? I mean, was Megan right…?"

With a slightly more pronounced smile, Zelda threw Link's jacket on once more. "I think there's a very good possibility that she may have been, yes." She made to head for the door again, but was brought to another halt by Malon.

"Dude, don't you have any nicer jackets you could wear? Honestly, isn't there like a Cleverly dress code or something?"

Zelda snorted a laugh. "Malon…do you by any chance remember this one night, um, six years ago …I had gone to New York for see Deb's graduation." Malon nodded. "Well, do you remember that guy I told you about? The one I met at the movie theater who took me to see _Little Women_?"

"Uh…oh, yeah! Gosh, yes. Oh my goodness, wait. That's his jacket, isn't it?"

"Yes…and Link's as well."

Malon's eyes narrowed in confusion, then they popped open wide. "NO. WAY."

With a sardonic grin, Zelda merely said, "Way," then finally left the bedroom. She raced down the stairs, passed Jack in the kitchen, and nearly bulldozed over her mother, who was just about to step outside—Zelda accidentally knocked into her but kept moving as if she hadn't noticed, blazing forth into the wintry snow. There was Megan, and there was Link, straightening up after having stooped down to put a final, prune button on the snowman's chest. Not caring that her daughter, her mother, and countless other family members were watching, Zelda sloshed her way through the snow to Link, threw her arms around him and kissed him with so much force that they both collapsed onto the snow.

"I was so awful to you just now," Zelda breathed after breaking for air. She was on top of him, looking sorrowfully down at her conquest.

"Oh, uh, I didn't really mind that, actually," Link said.

It took her a moment to get it, then Zelda laughed—and this time the sound was a much happier, almost carefree one. "No, I mean in my bedroom. All those thoughtless, rude things, I'm so, _so _sorry." As if to emphasize this, she leaned down and kissed him again, savoring the feeling of his lips against her own, his hands in her hair, his face under her fingertips. It didn't feel like she was out in freezing snow at all.

"Do you promise not to freak out on me like that again?" Link asked, struggling to a sitting position (which got easier once Zelda moved off of him). "Because I don't know if I can—"

"Sh." Zelda put a finger to his lips and said, "I promise I'm going to make this work, Link. I won't pull something like that on you again, ever, not if I can help it."

"Then you need to believe me," Link said, taking both of Zelda's hands in his own and clasping them together. "You have to believe me when I say that I would never, ever consciously do anything that could potentially hurt you in any way, shape, or form." He leaned in to kiss her again, but a long shadow loomed over the two of them before anything else could happen.

In unison, Link and Zelda looked up to see Clarissa Cleverly glaring down at them. "Zelda, dear," she said in a syrupy voice that deceived neither of them, "I heard your phone ringing just now, and it's a good thing I did. It's your Jewish friend from work, apparently there's something important she needs to tell you."

"Mom, it can wait, I'm on holiday," Zelda said.

"Work waits for no man," Clarissa said in a sing-song voice.

Zelda considered this for a moment. She touched Link on the cheek, then gave him a small kiss before getting to her feet. Now the cold was starting to sink in. Her teeth chattered together as she headed for the kitchen, but she got apprehended by her daughter, who was punching the air victoriously and yelling, "I knew it! I knew it!" She hugged her mother tightly around the waist, and for a moment or two Zelda looked as if she didn't know what she was supposed to do. Then, with a hesitant smile, she bent down and embraced Megan with more maternal affection than she'd possibly ever been able to garner in the young girl's life.

"Honey, the phone," Clarissa said.

"Schreiber can wait for just one more second," Zelda muttered. She then stooped down so that she was Megan's height; she pulled down the sides of Megan's hat so that it covered her ears a bit more, and pulled up the collar of her winter coat. "I'll be right back, sweetheart, I promise. Then we're going to play."

"_You're _going to play?" Megan asked in shock, her eyebrows nearly disappearing underneath her hat. She was entirely incapable of summoning a visual of her mother, the stringent, well-dressed lawyer, playing in the snow.

"Yes, it's a Thanksgiving miracle!" Zelda laughed before finally going inside. In a show of gumption that she hadn't had seen she was a young adolescent, Zelda stuck her tongue out at her mother before taking her phone. "Hey, Schreiber!"

"Zelda, I am so sorry to call you on vacation like this," Eliza groaned. "But for some reason or another, Dragmire doesn't have your number and he insisted that I get in touch with you as soon as possible. Because he's a sad, lonely old man with no family and no life whom we should all pity, he took time this morning to check all of our office messages. Apparently there's one for you that sounded extremely desperate and Dragmire wants you to call him back at once. Oh, and um, you can't call your machine to check it because Dragmire's a technological idiot and he accidentally erased _every_body's messages this morning. Good thing he's old-fashioned and wrote them all down first."

"Oy, vey," Zelda sighed, looking around the kitchen for a piece of paper and a pencil. She borrowed a grocery list that Vivien had going on the side of the fridge, and managed to find a pen in one of the drawers. "Okay, I guess I'll get on it sometime later today. Do you have the number?"

"Yeah, just a sec." Eliza pulled up the phone number and gave it to Zelda, and was about to hang up before Zelda asked her what exactly the name was of the guy she was supposed to be calling. "Oh, that's right. Yeah, it was a weird name, I'd never heard it before. Oh, here we go. It's Marth…Malloy. Malloy? Yes. Marth Malloy. Okay, well, sorry again to interrupt you like this, but I'm only acting on orders from above. …Zel? Zelda, are you there?"


	13. Surprised?

Zelda sat in her sister's kitchen, numb disbelief coursing through her. Schreiber's words kept running through her head—Marth Malloy had called her. He had _dared _to call Zelda's office, and left an allegedly "desperate" message. It had been what, three and a half years now since they'd said a word to each other? And now, completely out of the blue, he had the gall to ring her up at work? Or try to, anyway…

"You're going to call, aren't you?" It was Mrs. Cleverly, re-joining Zelda in the kitchen. She raised an eyebrow at her daughter's blank stare. "Zelda, whoever it was that your business friend said you need to call—you have to call them. You know that, don't you? It's your obligation."

For a fleeting moment, Zelda considered telling her mother who had called. But the idea quickly left her mind, as fast as it had entered. "Yes, mother. I am going to call him right now, so he isn't left waiting for me to get back to him. Goodness me, that would just be _rude_, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, I should think so," Clarissa said slowly, narrowing her eyes slightly. "But if you _do _intend on making a business call, I might suggest going up to whatever room it is you're staying in, because the way people blow in and out of this kitchen, you'd think it was Grand Central Station!" She laughed at her little joke.

"Mm…sure, mom." With Marth's number in her hand, Zelda swiftly exited the kitchen and walked up the stairs that would lead to her room. The door closed softly behind her. Zelda walked over to the window and looked down at the backyard; at the same time, Megan looked up and waved enthusiastically. Zelda smiled hesitantly and waved back, then held up one finger to show that she'd be back down in a minute.

Of course, she knew that wouldn't exactly be true. She needed to call Marth. Not calling him wasn't an option, and she would accomplish nothing by ignoring the message anyway. He was already on her mind now, and it would be best to get whatever it was out of the way rather than brooding about it for the rest of the day, trying to figure out why he had called. How better to find out than to return the favor?

So Zelda perched herself on the end of her bed and pulled out her phone. She was about to dial the number Schreiber had given her when she realized that she had no game plan. What tone should she use? Professional and distant, as if this was a business call just like any other? Or would he beat her down and know what she was doing if she did that? Chances were that he would see right through her… and just mock her for it. But she couldn't approach this casually, she was still trying to fully register the fact that he had called her!

_Come on, Cleverly, the more you put this off the harder it will be_.

She didn't know if she actually believed that, but nonetheless Zelda presently found herself punching in the number she'd so hastily scribbled down only a few minutes earlier. It was ringing, but Zelda's heart was hammering so hard against her chest that she could hardly hear it. _This is surreal_…

"Hello?"

Incredible. He sounded exactly the same, like a slacker, a punk. She could just see him sitting in a basement littered with empty pizza boxes and beer cans with some video game controller held lazily in one hand as he answered the phone. In her mind's eye he was still impossibly handsome and—

"Hello?" It was slightly more impatient now. "Is anyone there?"

"Yes, this is Zelda Cleverly, and I was told that you left an urgent message for me at work and I am returning your call." Shoot, he'd startled her into being all formal. _I bet he's smirking_.

There was silence for a very long time; so long, in fact, that Zelda wondered if she'd lost the connection. But ultimately she heard a low chuckling from the other line, and she ground her teeth together until Marth could bring himself to actually talk again: "Well I'll be, you actually deigned to call me back! How're things going for you these days, Zellie?"

"_Don't _call me that," Zelda hissed. "Just tell me what it is you want."

"Ooh, little cold there, Ice Queen," Marth teased in her in his low, mocking drawl. "You don't sound happy to be hearing from me, your first love, your baby's daddy!"

"I swear, Marth—"

"How's the rugrat, anyway?"

"Did you call me up just to—"

"The first cut is the deepest—"

This sent Zelda into an uncharacteristic tirade of calling Marth all the profane, obscene, and otherwise insulting names she could possibly think of, her voice rising until she was practically screaming into the phone. She hadn't cursed like that in quite a long time, probably not since the last time she'd had a row with her now ex-husband.

"Feels good to clear out the lungs, doesn't is sweetheart?" Marth asked. "Now don't go and hang up on me, just hang on for a second. What would you say if I told you that I needed some legal advice?"

_He cannot be serious_. "I'd say go look up Carson Drew, because hell will freeze over before I would ever even consider helping you."

"Carson Dr…oh, Nancy's father, I presume," Marth chuckled. "Good one, Zel. You were always a great kidder! And I hate to rain on your parade or otherwise hurt your massive legal ego, but I wasn't talking about asking you for advice. I meant your dear sweet old mother—you know, the one that actually basically taught you every trick you've ever used in a court room."

"What are you talking about, Marth? Talk straight, for once!"

"She's with you, isn't she? Your mother?"

"She…"

"It's Thanksgiving, isn't it? And if your sister Vivien hasn't changed since we were married, she'll have invited you over to good old Arkansas for the holiday, am I right? And am I right in remembering that each year you politely declined the invitation because you were obsessed with working? Well, I thought it was a bit strange when you didn't pick up your phone at work yesterday, and found it positively charming that your voicemail stated you had gone out of town for the holidays. Hey, speak of the devil, dear old Viv lives in _Drew_, doesn't she?"

"No, she's moved," Zelda lied calmly.

"Ah, you almost had me there for a second, honey," Marth said. "Or at least you easily would have, had I not gone to the trouble of looking up Dr. Vivien Lee—that's a very nice website her hospital's made for her, you should check it out sometime, she looks smoking in the picture—anyway, it just happened to mention that she currently resides in Drew, Arkansas with her husband and her four children. Awww."

"Where are you?" Zelda asked slowly.

"Well, I should be in Drew in about, oh, an hour or so," Marth replied casually, glancing out of his car window at the idyllic countryside. "If you remembered as much about my family as I do about yours, you'd recall that my brother likes to invite the whole clan down to Ashley for Thanksgiving every year. And like you with your sister, I usually turned her down. But this year I had a change of heart, and good thing, too. He had a heart attack the day I got down here, died in his sleep."

"Oh my Goddesses, I'm…sorry."

"Don't be, he was a jerk," Marth yawned. "Anyway, he hasn't changed his will since my parents died, so it's unclear who is supposed to inherit—er, take in his son and daughter, me or my sister."

"Don't tell me you're driving up to my sister's house on Thanksgiving to ask my mother to help you get custody of his kids," Zelda said in an acid tone, demonstrating how clearly ludicrous the idea was. "What's your motive behind this?"

"Motive? Geez, Zel, you make it sound like a game of 'Clue' or something," Marth laughed. "They're my family, what other reason could I possibly want?"

"How stupid do you think I am, Marth?" Zelda cried. "If you had any sense of family responsibility whatsoever, we wouldn't have gotten divorced! You wouldn't have hurt your own daughter!" Why was she saying all this? There was no point to it, it wasn't like she'd change his mind. "As you very well know, I can't stop you from coming up here, but I can sure as hell guarantee you that you will not be receiving any help in any way, shape, or form from me or my mother."

Math merely chuckled his annoying chuckle into the phone again. "We'll see about that, babe. Besides, it'll be fun to catch up, won't it? See the kid again after all these years, what she's up to and all that. And you, of course. Won't it just be a thrill to spend some time together again? You know, some one-on-one time to …discuss what went wrong between us and—"

With an angry sigh, Zelda shut her phone and threw it onto the bed. She waited for it to ring again, half-expecting Marth to want to finish what he was saying enough to call her back. But the room remained silent. The lewd tone that had been in his voice was clear enough of an indication that if the two of them were to spend any time alone together, if Marth had his way, they wouldn't spend it talking. Well, he was going to get quite a surprise. She wasn't going to be his doormat anymore.

Feeling as if she was in a dream, Zelda opened her bedroom door and slowly descended down the main staircase of the house. Once she reached the main floor, she saw Vivien out of the corner of her eye, coming out of a nearby closet. Viv was decked out in winter apparel and about to jam a woolen hat on her head when she caught sight of Zelda's crestfallen face.

"Honey? What's the matter?"

"I…just got a call from work…"

"Work? Zel, did no one ever explain the concept to you of a vacation?" Vivien laughed. "Well of course not, who am I kidding? You've never—"

"It was Marth."

Vivien stared at her for a very long time, nearly a full thirty seconds, waiting for Zelda to say it was a lie or a very bad joke. But her sister's solemn, light eyes just looked sadly back into hers, silently confirming that it was in fact the truth.

"No," Viv whispered. "No, he wouldn't dare do that. Zelda? You're pulling my leg, please, tell me you're pulling my leg!" In response to this, Zelda just shook her head and sat herself down on the bottom stair. "Oh, he's got some _nerve_." Vivien's gloved hands balled into fists. "What did he say? What does he want?"

"He's on his way here. He said he was less than an hour away."

At this point, Jack came striding in from the kitchen, headed for the closet that Viv had just emerged from. He noticed Zelda's somber expression and Vivien's angered one, and took a small step back. "Whoa, what's going on here?"

"Nothing, Jack, it's girl talk," Zelda muttered. She lifted her gaze from the floor to his eyes, and he understood that he needed to leave. So he backtracked out of the hallway and the sisters waited until they heard the sound of the porch door closing so they knew he was out of earshot.

"Um, you do realize that eventually he'll have to know what this is about, right?" Vivien asked. "Because if Marth comes, Jack is probably going to notice. And then smash his head in with a baseball bat. Also we're having this discussion in sort of an open area, and anyone who walks by is liable to—"

"Do me a favor, get Malon and Terra and meet me in your music room," Zelda sighed, getting off the stairs and walking away from her sister. She heard Vivien going outside to get fetch their oldest sibling and Zelda's best friend; Zelda walked down the hall to Vivien's music room. Most everyone was outside, but she still bumped into a few family members who weren't comfortable enough stopping to talk to her to ask her why she had that depressed look on her face—others were just accustomed to seeing it there, as Zelda had never been the family clown.

Vivien's "music" room consisted of a piano and a harp; Zelda made to sit herself down on the bench in front of the piano, but quickly changed her mind and headed for the chair by the harp instead. It had been years since she'd played a harp, even though there was one sitting in her own house… collecting dust. Now the only music that rang through her home was Megan's attempt at the piano and her enthusiastic xylophone playing. _She's getting too old for a xylophone_.

As soon as Zelda sat by the harp, her fingers touched the strings and immediately began to play "The Coventry Carol," the song she had played most often when she was younger. Her mother had liked to pull her out at Christmas parties to play the grave piece. Vivien's harp was excellently tuned, and as Zelda plucked the strings, the sound reverberated off the walls and windows of the closed room. Suddenly she couldn't remember what part came next…

She paused, then started over, humming the hymn to herself. Then the words inexplicably came out of her mouth, in a low, barely audible voice:

"_Lullay, Thou little tiny Child; by, by, lully, lullay…_"

Then that part, those two lines, repeated. Her eyes closed, her voice reached the volume of the harp.

"_O sisters, too, how may we do; For to preserve this day; This poor Youngling for whom we sing …by, by, lully, lullay…_"

She played on but could not remember the words to the next verse. Something about King Herod. But the melody was all the same… then came the next part, yes? Zelda hadn't sung in years, but her voice now rang out slightly louder than the harp, tremulous and timid: "_Then woe is me, poor Child, for Thee; and ever mourn and say; For Thy parting, nor say nor sing; By, by, lully, lullay."_

The door creaked open, and the second it did Zelda's hands dropped and her eyes shifted over to see who was coming in. It was Megan, who tentatively opened the door wider and came into the room, followed by Vivien, Terra, and Malon. Zelda narrowed her eyes at Vivien because she had not asked that her daughter be brought along.

"Mom, I've never heard you sing before," Megan realized.

"Hey, don't look at me that way, she has more a right to know of this than any of us do," Vivien said, giving Zelda a pointed look when she scowled at her.

"Know what?" Malon asked, sitting down at the piano. Her face was flushed from the cold, and she took off her gloves. "What's going on, Zelda?"

"Um, well…" She coughed and looked at each of the faces in turn, her eyes finally resting on her daughter. "Honey, do you remember much about your father?"

Megan was staring intently at her mother and did not see the incredulous look that Terra and Malon exchanged. "I remember him," she said slowly, wondering if this was a trick question of some sort. "I mean I haven't seen him in forever, but I still remember him. He… wasn't very… nice."

"You're right, he wasn't very nice," Zelda said. She was still sitting behind the harp, and Megan was still standing expectantly in front of her, the only one in the room who hadn't taken a seat. Zelda sighed. "He's not very nice because he did not tell me ahead of time that he was coming here."

Malon inhaled sharply and Terra could not contain a gasp. "_What? _Zelda, he's coming here? How, why?! How did he even know you were here?"

"Just a well-informed guess," Zelda said, not wanting to get into all of the details. "Anyway, there's nothing any of us can do about it now."

"There certainly is something you _could _have done about!" Malon barked. "If you'd gotten a restraining order like your mother suggested, he couldn't—"

"Mom!" Terra moaned. "Oh geez, Zelda, she's going to flip her lid when she sees him! And then Jack is going to beat him up and then—"

"Oh my Goddesses, what about Link?" Malon asked, her eyebrows raising so high that they disappeared into her hair. "Have you told him this?"

"No," Zelda replied, now feeling a little sorry that she hadn't gone to him about it already. She was startled to see that Megan's eyes had glossed over with unshed tears, but Zelda wasn't sure what they were for: was she afraid of seeing her father again, or was she upset that apparently her grandmother and uncle hated him? "Honey, I just wanted to tell you ahead of time so that you wouldn't be too surprised when he comes."

"He can't come here _now_," Malon said. "Your entire family is here! He's going to make a scene in front of everyone!"

"No, he's not," Vivien said. "Zelda, since you've never spent this holiday at my house before, you don't know this, but every year the day after Thanksgiving, James and I go to pick out a Christmas tree and everyone comes with us. It's the kind of place you can go and cut down your own tree, and all the kids have a ball running around, playing hide-and-seek and just dashing through the snow, you know, all that. And afterwards we all go on a horse-drawn carriage ride."

Zelda saw where she was going. "But Thanksgiving's not even until tomorrow."

"Whatever, we'll go today," Vivien said with a shrug. "Trust me, no one will mind. It's not like they've got plans, and they'll all be excited to go. That way you and Marth can, um… talk, alone. Uninterrupted."

"I don't think it's such a good idea for you two to be left alone together," Terra said, voicing a concern that had just been running through Zelda's mind.

"They won't be alone, I'll be here," Megan said.

"No, sweetheart, you'd better come with us," Vivien said. "It'll be fun, don't you want to come pick out a Christmas tree with us and go on a sleigh ride? You'll really be missing out, and besides…" She felt like it wouldn't be a good idea to leave Megan with her abusive father, and was afraid of the things the young girl might overhear in any conversation between her parents.

"She can stay if she wants to stay," Zelda said, addressing Vivien but looking at Megan. "She has every right to, and I completely understand."

"What about Link, are you going to keep him here, too?" Malon asked.

"I think you should," Terra said. "You ought to have someone—er, I mean another adult around to check Marth's behavior, and Link's the best option you've got. He'll probably be less violent than Jack, and well…" She indicated Vivien and Malon. "We've got such a personal history with Marth, it'd just be…"

"I got it," Zelda sighed. "Maybe you're right, it'd be good to have him around."

"Yeah, and then you can tell him Link's going to be your new husband and you don't want dad around anymore," Megan suggested.

Malon only just stifled a laugh, while Zelda's sisters looked immediately at her to see the reaction. Zelda only smiled half-heartedly and said, "I don't know that Link is going to be my new husband, Megan."

"But you kissed him."

Zelda bit her tongue. "Yes, I did. I…did."

"So you love him."

"I care for him quite a bit, yes," Zelda said, wishing that her sisters and Malon weren't in the room. "But it's not as easy as all that, honey." An awkward silence settled itself in the room, everyone waiting for someone else to say something. "I just want to say I appreciate everything you're all doing for me," Zelda murmured.

This stirred Vivien to speak again. "What was it you said, he'll be here in an hour or so? I'd better spread the word that we're going on our Christmas tree extravaganza today, then. It'll probably take about half that time for everyone to get ready." She rolled her eyes, then headed for the door. "Terra, Malon, could you help me round everybody up? Let's try and be as efficient as possible."

The three women then quietly exited the room and Malon shut the door behind her, leaving the mother and daughter alone. After a moment's hesitation, Zelda reached out her hand, silently beckoning Megan to come over. Megan took the few steps necessary to get to her mother and then sat herself on her lap. She rested her head on Zelda's shoulder and Zelda in turn cradled the back of her daughter's head.

"Mom, why is he coming?" Megan whispered after more silence.

"I'm not really sure why," Zelda responded; for although Marth had given her a reason over the phone, she knew that it really had nothing to do with his coming to see them. Why now? Why, after all these years, and at her sister's house? It made absolutely no sense to Zelda, so she didn't know how to try and make any sense of it to Megan. And how exactly would Link respond to all this?

A few minutes later, Zelda could hear the entire Cleverly clan stampeding out Vivien's front door to get to the car. Malon creaked open the door to the music room and stepped inside. "Hey, so, um, Link is still in the backyard. Terra went out and told him that Marth is coming, and he's… he just wanted a minute alone before he came outside. Viv told everyone else that Megan isn't feeling very well and that you wanted to stay back and be with her. No one has trouble believing that the Californian's first time out in the snow has her feeling a little under the weather. Think you can get Marth out of here in four hours?" She said all of this very fast.

"Piece of cake," Zelda mumbled. "Tell Vivien thanks for getting everyone out of here for me. I assume everyone _is _going…?"

"Well, it took a bit of arm-twisting to get your dear old mum to go along, but she finally caved," Malon answered.

Zelda snorted a laugh. "Why didn't mom want to go? Too much family love and Thanksgiving or Christmas joy for her?"

Malon hesitated before answering that one. "Actually, according to Vivien, it's because she was worried about you, about leaving you."

Megan followed Malon's lead and looked at Zelda for some sort of reaction, but Zelda's face was blank; she was staring at the floor. Barely noticeably, she shook her head and a small, one-sided smirk appeared on her countenance. "Yeah… right." She didn't say anything else, cuing Malon to turn around and leave with a nervous "see you later." Zelda nodded.

Not five minutes after the dozen or so family vans pulled away from Vivien's house did the doorbell rang. "Son of a…" Zelda muttered, moving to get to her feet. Megan quickly got off Zelda's lap to allow her to stand up. "I should have known he wouldn't be honest about how far away he was," Zelda said, mostly to herself, as she walked out of the music room. "It's a good thing Viv moved everyone so fast…"

She reached the enormous front door and put her hand on the knob. But she found herself suddenly and inexplicably incapable of moving. Sweat was forming on her fingers and making it hard for her to get a good grip on the door knob—she couldn't remember the last time she had sweated out of nervousness. The doorbell rang again. Zelda glanced over her shoulder and didn't see Megan; she supposed the girl was still in the music room, as immobile as her mother.

_Come on, Cleverly. Pull it together. Postponing this moment any further is just going to make it worse_. _Do it_. Just as the bell rang for the third time, Zelda swung the front door wide open.

Marth's finger was still on the buzzer, and for a split second his face retained that usual, unkind smirk. But as soon as he caught sight of Zelda, he was unable to mask his awe at her unadulterated, unbelievable beauty. They spent a considerable few moments sizing each other up. Marth hadn't changed all that much since the last time Zelda had seen him, except it looked as if he hadn't shaved in a day or two and he had maybe put on a few pounds since high school. His hair was still that weird blue color and spiked, as if he was trying to look younger than he was—which was actually still pretty young.

"I would've gotten here sooner but I was on the other side of the house," Zelda lied coolly. "You're here a little bit earlier than you said you would be."

"Sorry, my traffic and weather reporting just aren't quite up to snuff," Marth remarked, stepping into the house when Zelda didn't invite him to do so. "So." He looked her up and down again; that hourglass figure, those piercing eyes, that luscious hair—nothing had changed from the last time he'd seen her, except for the fact that maturity had only made her physical traits that much more appealing.

Zelda closed the door behind him, louder than she had meant to. "Let's not beat around the bush here, Marth. Why did you come here?"

"I told you why, Zellie," he said, enjoying the effect using this nickname had on her (she scowled noticeably). "On the phone. My brother—"

"Bull," she interrupted him. "Maybe that's true, that your brother died, and if it is, I'm even more disgusted with you than I would have thought possible. So uncaring, so nonchalant, so—so greedy! But that cannot have been the reason you came here, it can't have. You aren't stupid. Slimy and a jerk, yes, but stupid, no."

"Why Zel, your words hurt me, really they do," Marth said, putting a hand to his heart. He opened his mouth to say something else, but lost his train of thought just by shifting his gaze directly to his ex-wife. "Excuse me for saying this, but through some horrific lapse of memory I must have forgotten how incredibly… attractive you are." He stepped closer to her. "You aren't alone in this big old house, are you?"

Zelda's eyes automatically shifted to the music room, the door of which was still open. Marth followed her gaze, patted her on the shoulder and headed for the room. "Who've we got here?" he called. "Come out, come out, wherever you are! Viv? Terra? Don't tell me it's old Malon!"

Megan looked up when her father came into sight. She stared sullenly at him, not at all impressed by his shocked expression. "Hi, dad," she said in a low voice.

"The kid?" Marth snorted, looking back at Zelda. "I assumed that you wouldn't want her to be here when I came."

"Well, you know what they say when you assume."

Marth looked over at the new voice. Link came strolling into the hallway from the kitchen, fists jammed in his pockets and a would-be calm but stern expression on his face. He glanced briefly at Zelda (who looked at him with both relief and concern), but then redirected his gaze to Marth, who was just staring at him blankly. Marth's eyes moved to Zelda's hand and saw no ring on her finger.

"Oh," he snorted, turning away from the music room and acting as if he hadn't seen Megan at all. "Who's this we've got here, now? Boyfriend? Boy toy? Booty call?"

"You may not know me, Mr. Malloy, but I've sure heard a hell of a lot about you," Link said, folding his arms across his chest and walking up until he was face-to-face with Marth (who stood just an inch or two shorter than him). "You don't have a lot of fans in this family. In fact, I'd daresay you don't have _any_. But you probably know that, am I right?"

"Whoa, just step back there a minute, punk," Marth laughed, giving Link's shoulder a light push.

Link retaliated by grabbing two fistfuls of Marth's shirt and pinning him against a wall. Megan gasped loudly and came running into the hallway to see what was going on, while Zelda stood by in an almost dazed state, feeling as if she was watching something unfold on a movie screen. Marth's expression was perceptibly less smart and a lot more nervous, while Link's usually benign countenance was twisted into an ugly visage of intense anger and hatred.

"You watch yourself around me, _punk_," Link growled, spitting Marth's own words back at him. "I don't have any tolerance for guys like you, do you hear me? _Zero_ tolerance. You give me a good reason why you're here, give me one good reason."

"My bad," Marth muttered, still pinned to the wall. "You're Zelda's bodyguard! I didn't know lawyers needed bodyguards, but I guess when you're as hated as—"

Link hit Marth with the back side of his hand. "Don't listen to him, Zel," he said, looking over his shoulder at Zelda. Turning back to Marth he said, "How dare you come all the way out here to insult someone who never did you _any _harm."

"Megan, honey, I think you'd better leave," Zelda whispered, motioning for her daughter to come over to her. "Come on, I'll take you outside."

"No, mom, I wanna stay," Megan insisted.

"Listen to your mother," Marth said in an authoritative voice. "Get out of here."

Zelda surveyed Marth with a look of utter dislike. "Say goodbye to your father, Megan. I don't want you to hear any more of this."

Megan's face betrayed no emotion; she had learned from the master. Walking slowly towards the kitchen so she could go outside, Megan muttered, "Goodbye, dad." The three adults watched her small figure leave the hall, and waited until they heard the back door close before continuing any conversation.

"I have a right to know exactly who you are," Marth said, pulling himself out of Link's slackened grip. "Obviously you're spending a lot of time with _my _daughter and with my ex-wife. What are you to them?"

"I love him," Zelda suddenly heard herself saying. _Wow, that sounded incredibly cheesy and stupid_. Even though the words made it sound like she was quoting a Danielle Steele book, Zelda stepped towards Link and took his arm and said it again: "I love this man, Marth. And he… he loves me."

"That so?" Marth asked, raising his eyebrows. "You said you loved me, too. Do you remember that?"

"I'm not the person I was," Zelda said quietly, succoring strength from Link's strong and encouraging grip.

"Yeah, okay," Marth said. He looked over at Link, grinning wryly. "And you, you 'love' her, huh? Yup, I can sympathize with that." In a stage whisper, Marth said, "She's pretty hot once you get her in bed, am I right?"

"You…" Link was beginning to demonstrate Jack-like tendencies, but before he could do anything, Zelda said "no" and squeezed his arm. She wanted to slap that smug smile right off Marth's face and raised her hand to do so, but somewhere on the way to doing that her fingers clenched into a fist and she punched him full on.

"Whoa," Link said, clearly impressed. Marth staggered backwards, clutching his noise, which had started to bleed profusely. "Nice one, Zel! I'm impressed!"

"That felt really good," Zelda laughed, rubbing her knuckles. "Marth, get a grip on yourself. You sorry, pathetic excuse for a human being. I want you to get it together, then walk yourself on out of here. Drive away, go find another lawyer to bother with your stupid family problems, and never, _never _contact me again. Don't talk to anyone in my family, not to my sisters, or my mother, or _my _daughter. And if you know what's good for you, you certainly won't look to get in touch with any of my brothers, especially Jack. Go back to whatever sorry slut you're seeing now and stay away from me."

The cold conviction in Zelda's voice was one Marth had never heard before, definitely never directed at him. Her stance was controlled and powerful, and he found himself feeling very small. He eyed her clenched fists, which looked all too ready to hit him again if he provoked her.

"You look confused," Zelda murmured. "A lot of people attribute my stand-offish and harsh personality to having grown up with my mother, but really, I've got to say you were the one that cultivated it. You abused me, you drained me of any human emotions I might otherwise have had. Long before our divorce I got this way… reclusive, cold." She realized as she said it how painful it was for her to admit it, and how sad it must have been for those close to her to have endured that side of her for six solid years. "Six years!" Zelda said, blinking back tears. "Six years of my life I wasted because you left me in shambles. I do not owe you anything."

"I don't owe _you _anything," Marth was quick to say.

"That's not true, and you know it," Zelda whispered. "You owe me a great deal of things, Marth Malloy, but right now I'll settle for just one. Leave. Don't darken this doorway or any doorway I might find myself in again. You owe me that, you owe me that peace and sense of being. I mean it, get out."

Marth was not accustomed to Zelda's relatively new, assertive self. He looked from her to Link (who still appeared murderous), and slowly backtracked his way to the front door. "I was just stopping by," he said casually, hand on the knob. "I was in the neighborhood. No hard feelings." He opened the door and walked out, closing it with a loud slam behind him.

"Do you think he's really leaving?" Link asked after a moment or two had passed.

"I doubt it," Zelda sighed, her posture slumping slightly. "He never gives up anything without a fight. I really don't think this is the last I'll be seeing of him …I don't know what it is, I just have a feeling that he's going to be bothering me again." She shivered. "I can't believe …that was just so _surreal_. I haven't seen or heard from him in nearly five years, and now, out of nowhere, he just… ah!"

"Zel, it's okay," Link said, turning her to face him and embracing her tightly. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll stay away. Although to be honest, he seemed pretty stupid, so…" He appreciated it when Zelda forced a small laugh for his sake. "Zelda, let me ask you something. You don't have to answer right now, I just want to ask."

"Go ahead," Zelda mumbled. If she had been paying more attention, she probably would have guessed what Link was about to ask her."

"Zelda, what would you say if I asked you to marry me?"


	14. Sudden Realization

**A/N**: Wow, I REALLY suck for not updating this in so long!!! I apologize, and plead guilty because of an onslaught of work and big tests! I really want to finish this story for you guys, though, and I swear it's almost finished!! I am so sorry that this chapter is so late in coming, but because I really like it, I'm going to beg for reviews anyway!

* * *

The enormous Cleverly clan was still out getting a Christmas tree, and Vivien's vast estate currently had only three people on it. Megan was outside in the snow by herself, reveling in the winter she had never experienced in California. Marth had driven five blocks away, going on six. Link had very suddenly and unexpectedly asked Zelda, "what would you say if I asked you to marry me?"

It had just inexplicably slipped out of his mouth; he had spoken before thinking. Well, sort of: the question had been vaguely on his mind since the previous night. After having accrued such a wealth of knowledge and understanding of this woman over the past few months, Link strongly felt that he was supposed to be with her. He had a feeling that he had loved her the whole time she had employed him, he just hadn't known it. But this was absolutely no excuse for what he had done, to just blurt out that question after Zelda had punched her sleazy ex-husband in the face. A very weighty awkwardness had filled the air after Link had asked the question. The words seemed suspended between him and Zelda, waiting for some kind of reaction from her. But there was none. Her eyebrows contracted unnoticeably and she stared at Link for a very long time, as if wondering if he was real. She looked him over a few seconds longer, then slowly walked around him and headed for the kitchen. He remained where he was, still feeling as numb as Zelda at what he had asked.

Zelda grabbed her coat and went out into the backyard, where Megan was half-heartedly building a snow fort of some kind. The young girl looked up when she heard the door close, and she frowned slightly.

"Is he gone?" she asked.

"Who?" Zelda said, feeling drowsy.

Megan pursed her lips together. "Dad. Did he go?"

"Oh…yes. Yes, he's gone." She could see her breath. Zelda stuffed her glove-less hands into her pockets and curiously observed Megan as she continued with her snow fort. "Did you want to say goodbye?"

"No," Megan answered with a brief shrug. "Where's Link?"

"Link? He—he's inside." Zelda got down on her knees in the snow, and even though she immediately began to feel her legs freeze, she stayed there. "Megan, can I ask you something?" Her daughter nodded dutifully. "I want you to tell me the truth, okay? Don't worry about …I don't know, about anything. Just tell me what you really feel." She paused to gather her thoughts, but Megan thought she had come to a stop, waiting for a reply from her.

"I promise, mom," Megan said seriously. With that discerning, slightly solemn look on her face, it was weird to think she was only six. "What is it?"

"You…" Zelda idly picked up a clump of snow with her bare hand, softly crushing it between her fingers until it was a fine powder. That was dumb; her fingers would numb now, too. She impatiently wiped her wet hand on her coat. "Did you ever envision—I mean, did you ever… imagine me and you and your dad all living together? Did you ever picture us all in one house as a happy family?"

"No," Megan instantly replied, as if such an idea were repulsively childish. She thought about it for a moment, then figured she should explain what she meant to her poor mother, who looked rather surprised (and hurt?) by the terseness of the response. "I mean, I knew dad wasn't going to come back, so it'd be stupid to hope he would. And I didn't want him to, anyway. He hurt you." She was of course referring to the incident she'd witnessed when Marth had thrown a vase at Zelda's back; she had no idea of the deep amount of psychological pain that the man had caused her mother. "I hope he never comes back."

Surely if she were to cry in this weather, her tears would freeze into icicles before the finished going down her face—not Megan but Zelda, who felt incurably confused and a little sick. The air seemed to get colder, somehow.

"But," Megan suddenly said, "I always wanted one. A dad, I mean. Just not mine. I didn't want to say anything just now, but you told me to tell you the truth, so I am." Right away she still wished she hadn't said anything, because it seemed like such a harsh thing to just come out and say. "I'm sorry," she quickly added.

"Don't apologize, Megan, _I'm _the one who should be sorry," Zelda said, and her voice sounded somewhat strangled. She had never realized that during all of these years, her refusal to get involved with someone could have been detrimental to her daughter. In the back of her mind, Zelda had thought Megan would feel strange having another man in the house; she had assumed the girl didn't want or need a father figure. More to the point, Zelda had been selfish. She hadn't wanted a new man in her life because deep down, she'd been so afraid of being hurt again, and hadn't thought too much of how that could have disappointed and saddened her young daughter.

"It's cool to have a guy for a nanny," Megan decided. "It feels like having a dad."

Zelda had to smile slightly at that. "You really like Link, don't you?"

"_Duh_, mom. He's the coolest! You can count on Link."

"But what if you couldn't? What If he did something all of a sudden that just …I don't know, what if _he _hurt you?" Zelda had to ask. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation with her six-year-old daughter, but something had just pushed her into making the paranoid inquiry.

Megan surveyed her mother with a look that made it clear she thought Zelda was crazy. "Mom, Link would _never _do that," she said furtively and evenly; and Zelda could see that the girl hadn't hesitated for a moment to come to Link's defense. "You know that, don't you? He means the stuff he says, I can tell. Can't you?"

_I've been so stupid_. Zelda patted Megan on the head and got to her feet. _Any idiot would have known by now that Link is one in a million. I don't know what's the matter with me_. She silently walked around the house to Vivien's garage. With some effort, she managed to lift the door open, and then remembered that all the cars were gone. There was, however, a bike leaning against one of the walls…

**Three Hours Later**…

"Phew! It's going to take all the men we've got to get this sucker into the house," Vivien laughed. Her car was the first to pull up, and it had one of the biggest trees known to mankind tied carefully to the top. She nodded to Malon, who was in the passenger seat, and said, "Go on in and see if you could get Link to give us a hand, eh?"

"Will do, cappy," Malon agreed, getting out of the car and running up to the house. There hadn't been any other cars by the curb, so she assumed it was safe to think Marth had left by now. "Hellooo!" she called as she entered the house. She walked into the music room, but saw that it was empty. "Anyone here?" she asked a little louder. With a furrowed brow, Malon headed for the kitchen and looked out into the backyard. It looked like someone had built a snow fort, but there was no one outside now. She turned around and saw that she was suddenly face to face with Link, and his abrupt appearance caused her to yelp in surprise. He had to laugh at that, and she chuckled a bit embarrassedly before saying, "Hey, did you hear me hollering?"

"Yeah, I was just coming to try and find you," Link answered. He stepped aside, and Malon saw Megan sitting on the rug of the living room floor (adjacent to the kitchen) next to a deck of Uno cards. "We've just been passing the time—came inside about an hour ago to get warm; you just barely missed a really exciting game of Parcheesi."

"Hm, well, you'll have to count me in later," Malon said. She lowered her voice a little as Megan, out of earshot, shuffled the cards. "So um, did you meet Marth?"

Link snorted a laugh and his gaze shifted to the floor. "Yeah, I met him. I would have really liked to give him a piece of my mind, but he didn't stay all that long." He looked up to see Malon had raised her eyebrows. Link explained: "Everyone says Jack would've beat him up, and I would have liked to myself, but your pal beat me to the punch. Er, literally."

"Wait," Malon said after a short pause. Link looked at her expectantly, and she felt it was superfluous for her to say, "Explain," but she did anyway because Link didn't seem to know what she had stopped him for.

"Oh," Link laughed. "Well, uh… he made some sort of lewd remark and …I think she intended to slap him, but instead, her fingers curled into a fist and she just punched him, square in the face." He mimicked what had happened, throwing his own clenched fist into an invisible Marth with a proud grin on his face. "And then she just told him to get out. And he did."

Malon did not look as pleased as Link would've expected. "Chances are, this isn't the last time he'll drop in, though."

"Zelda said something like that," Link muttered in a low whisper, a small frown creasing his face. "But what makes you think so? If he and Ms. C have been divorced for so long and he never showed up before now, why do you think he'd come back?"

"Er, this isn't ex_actly _the first time Zel has seen him since the divorce," Malon said quietly, now making doubly sure that Megan would not overhear. "Um… there was a time a couple of years ago where Zelda had to go on a business trip to Anaheim, and somehow, Marth found out about it. I don't know if you know this or not, but Anaheim is where Disneyland is, and that's where Marth and Zelda used to work for one summer when they were like, freshmen in college, I think. Or they may have actually been younger; Clarissa Cleverly had some connections of some kind."

"Wait, Disneyland?" Link muttered. He could not for the life of him picture his ultra-serious boss parading around in a Disney theme park.

"Don't give her any grief about it; she's still completely mortified by the whole thing," Malon said through her teeth. "_All _the Cleverly kids had to work at least one summer there, their mom was sadistic about it. Long hours for relatively low pay, and they squeeze every drop of sweat out of you that they can—I know because I thought it'd be fun to try for a while, but I had to quit pretty early. Ugh. What was I talking about again?" She seemed to have truly forgotten.

"Um…Marth—"

"Oh! Oh yeah. Okay. Well, as it goes, some kids who'd worked with Marth and Zelda at the theme park wanted to have a reunion of sorts, and Marth had the gall to call Zel about it, but she said she was out of the state on business. Of course he knew this was bull, and he tried bullying her into showing up, but no dice. Then he called her firm and found out which hotel she was at, and so he showed up on the night of the reunion and sat in the lobby around dinnertime, waiting for her to come down because the guy at the desk wouldn't tell him _which _room Zelda was staying in… and then that guy, the concierge?—anyway, he phoned Zelda's room and told her there was a blue-haired man waiting for her in the lobby, so she just ate in her room."

"I can't believe the nerve of this guy," Link growled, to give Malon time to breathe. "Did he stay there all night?"

"Yes, until they kicked him out, and then the next day he just hung out outside of the hotel waiting for her, and out she came. She saw him approach her and was about to turn and go back inside but Marth grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to his car." Malon hesitated here. She glanced at Megan, who saw that Link wouldn't be coming back soon, and so she had busily started building a card tower. "Although now that I think about it, I don't buy that. That's what she told me, though."

"Wouldn't people have noticed some guy dragging an unwilling lady into his car?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you would think so," Malon mused. "If you ask me, she probably saw him, knew that _he _saw her seeing him, and didn't want to look like a coward by turning back into her hotel. She had cultivated sort of a pride in her image by this time …but whatever the case was, he ended up driving her to Disneyland. They had quite a fight on the way over, apparently."

"Did she end up going to this reunion thing?"

"Zelda insisted there was a conference she had to get to and that she didn't have time to go to frivolous parties at amusement parks," Malon said. "But, surprise of surprises, Marth didn't seem to care. So just when they were slowing down to get into the park they sort of came to a stop, because there was a long line of cars to get in—and Zelda just pushed her door open and bolted in the opposite direction. The impressive thing is that she probably did it in heels and a skirt, but there wasn't really anything Marth could do about it. He's got a bad knee, and Zelda's about as fast as Jim Thorpe when it comes to making a getaway. And he would've driven after her, but as I said, he was essentially stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic."

This all created a very pretty mental image, but Link still couldn't get his head around it. He wondered if there would ever be an end to the mysteries surrounding Zelda Cleverly. "What happened after that, did he let her be?"

"Don't know," Malon said with a shrug. "When Zelda got to a payphone, she called her firm and insisted she get a new hotel. She must have been pretty embarrassed; they wouldn't acquiesce until she told them she was practically being stalked." She coughed and looked around, then seemed to realize something for the first time. "Hey, where's Zelda now? Lying down?"

"Ah. Um…"

"Mom went for a bike ride," Megan said from the other side of the room, causing Link and Malon to jump slightly. How much had she heard? "Just in case you were wondering, I mean. She left about three hours ago."

"Three hours? And she's still not back?" Malon cried. "_Mother—!_ Link, please go out front and help the guys bring in the tree, will you?"

"Ooh, can I watch?" Megan asked, jumping to her feet and not seeming to care that this movement dismantled her careful set-up of cards. She skipped after Link as Malon pulled out a cell phone and dialed her best friend's number.

"Hello?"

"ZELDA. WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Hello to you too, Malon," Zelda sighed. "Relax."

"Relax?! When you've been gone on a _bike _ride in freezing temperatures for three hours?! How am I supposed to relax?!"

"Actually at the moment, I'm not on the bike," Zelda yawned. "I'm sitting in the most delightful little café in the next county. It's called 'A Cup of Joe,' I think I'm going to ask Viv if she's ever been. The coffee is top notch."

"You're in the next county? Zelda, what on earth is going on with you?" There was silence on the line for a few moments. "Hello? Zel? Are you there?"

"Did Link say anything to you?" Zelda asked in a small, soft voice.

"What? Well, yeah, we were just chatting…"

That answered it—if Link had told Malon what he'd asked Zelda, the redhead would've mentioned it right away. Zelda didn't think Link would have indulged the information to anyone, anyway. "Okay." She sighed deeply. "So you're back at Vivien's, right? Well, obviously. You said you talked to Link. I guess I should head back."

"Yeah. That would be good. It's getting dark outside, do you know how to find your way back here?"

"Of course. I just went in a straight line, now I head straight back. Bye."

"I swear," Malon muttered, shutting her phone as Terra walked into the kitchen. "Your sister can be such a turd sometimes."

"I'm sure she'd appreciate hearing that," Terra said thoughtfully. Megan walked into the room; Terra opened the fridge, took out a beer, and handed it to the girl. "Give this to your Uncle Jack, all right? He needs one whenever he's been around mom for any extended period of time."

"I hope that doesn't happen to me someday," Megan said, taking the can of beer and walking out of the kitchen with it. She spotted Jack and walked over to him, paying no mind to some of the other adults who were a little surprised to see a little girl holding the beer can. "Here, Uncle Jack," she said, tugging his shirt sleeve and handing the drink up to him. "Aunt Terra asked me to give you this."

"Ah, thank heaven for little girls," Jack said in his best attempt at a Maurice Chevalier accent. It didn't matter that he butchered it because Megan didn't understand the reference anyway. He opened the can and stooped to pat the girl on the shoulder. "Hey, how'd you like to help us put up some tinsel once we get it out of the basement?"

"You know," Link said as Megan nodded eagerly, "this tree is going to require quite a bit of upkeep to stay looking nice at Christmas."

"No doubt about that," Vivien sighed. "It doesn't help that it's sort of um, huge. But hey, we always get our tree around this time and we've never had any problems. Oh, except that one time that my husband and I kept thinking the other was watering it, and after about a week of that it looked all sad and droopy and dead, and um… yeah. But that hasn't happened since." She coughed uncomfortably. "ANYway…"

"Hey, Viv, check this out," Terra said, emerging from the door that led to the basement. "I thought I had picked up a giant box of tinsel, but then I opened it to check and there was just a mass of old photographs in it."

"Wow, I totally forgot about that box!" Vivien gasped.

"Look at this one I found; our old playing grounds!" Terra chuckled, passing the photo over to Viv, who grabbed it quickly so Link wouldn't see it. "Chill, sis. I was just talking to Malon, and she said she explained to Link all about our past jobs at the Happiest Place on Earth."

"Easy for you to call it that," Vivien moaned. "I had to wear that _stupid _costume!"

"Hey, we _all _had to wear stupid costumes, I just happened to _like _mine."

Vivien handed the picture to Link. "We don't know who all those little kids are… we wanted to somehow maneuver a picture with all of us in it, because photographs were strictly forbidden backstage …but sadly, we were never in one part of the park at one time, so I had to kind of lazily splotch these all together."

The picture, as it was, sort of resembled a badly-done collage, made up of six separate photographs: one each of Clarissa Cleverly's daughters, each of whom was dressed like a Disney character and posing with a young child. Terra's red hair leant itself well to the Little Mermaid (whose name Link could not recall), and then there were their other half-sisters Link had met only in passing. Dead center and with a smile as fake as her pale blue dress, Zelda stood in the regal costume of Sleeping Beauty. She was being embraced on both sides by identical twin girls, who looked like their dreams were coming true—whereas Zelda looked way out of her comfort zone. Link had to wonder who on earth would have given her a job that made her go out and pose for pictures with little kids in an over-the-top costume and exaggerated makeup. More to the point, he had to wonder why she'd accepted it.

"And who are you supposed to be, Viv?" Link asked, handing the picture back. "I don't think I recognize that one."

"Oy, _no_body did," Vivien groaned. "I was the gypsy from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, which apparently no one saw, so kids rarely recognized who I was. But the movie had just come out, so they were really plugging it. Kind of sad, because I used to be Snow White and that was one _every_body knew!"

"Wait a second, is that Megan?" Link asked, peering closer at the little girl in one of the pictures. "There, next to Cinderella?"

"Hm? Oh! Oh my gosh, so it is," Terra exclaimed. "That's our sister Rachel in the costume, her family couldn't make it this Thanksgiving because she's with her in-laws. I can't believe I forgot this. That was the only time Zelda consented to let the nanny bring Megan to Disneyland. She thought it was too much excitement for her."

Link's eyes went back to the picture of Zelda. She was a mother there. It suddenly struck him how young she had been when Megan was born; she hadn't even been twenty. He couldn't imagine what that must have been like.

"I'll go put this back," Terra said. "Hey Link, would you mind coming with me? The box was _really _heavy, and I don't know if I have the strength to put it back up where I got it from. Would that be all right?"

"Absolutely, just lead the way." Link followed Terra down into the basement, and for a moment, he thought he had walked into an underground complex that was a combination of Sports Authority and Circuit City. "Yeah," Terra remarked at Link's expression. "Viv likes to get her exercise on various machines when it's so cold outside, and so she and her husband figured why not go for the biggest plasma screens they could afford, right? They're not as shallow as that makes them look, I swear!"

"No, I know that," Link said as Terra opened a door into a giant closet beneath the stairs they had just climbed down. The walk-in closet was probably about the size of Zelda's living room. "This it?" he asked in a slightly dazed voice, coming to a stop in front of a large box of photographs.

"You're a very perceptive man, Link," Terra joked. She picked up an album that was lying on the top of the photos, which was labeled "Summer of 1996." Terra deftly took the photo from Link and slid it into the cover. "There we are! Fun to take a stroll down Memory Lane, isn't it? Although I don't know if it's really the same thing if they aren't _your _memories …is it?"

"Hm? Oh, I don't… it was a cute picture." Link really didn't know how to respond to the question, and when Terra chuckled lightly at him, he realized it had been rhetorical. "So you mistook this for a box of tinsel?" he asked, taking the box in his hands to put it back on a tall shelf. It had the word "PHOTOS" written in giant block letters on every side of it.

"Guess the secret's out," Terra remarked, going for a slightly smaller box that was on the floor and clearly marked "tinsel." "Malon had just been telling me all that she told you, and I thought having a photograph to illustrate it would help. Plus, this way, if Zelda ever decided to fire you, _you _could get back at her with blackmail. Can you imagine the media circus that would start up if they found out the most successful and talked-about lawyer in L.A. once had to prance around in a Princess costume for money?"

"Yeah…I guess I can see how she might find that sort of degrading," Link said, picking up another box of tinsel that Terra indicated with her foot. "Don't worry, I know she's sensitive about it. I won't bring it up."

"Oh, you should," Terra said, heading up the stairs. "Get her off her high-and-mighty pedestal once in a while! Everyone needs a job like that once in their lives. Before I did my time with Disney, I worked in a bookstore and had the most sa_distic _boss ever. I mean really, Meryl Streep in _The Devil Wears Prada _is like child's play compared to the woman I had over me!"

Link had never seen the movie, but he got the gist. "I suppose that's true. I mean, that you sort of need a hellish job at one point or another. It makes you realize the good in your life when you get it." Terra smiled to herself.

"Can you believe that crazy sister of ours?" Vivien said the second that Terra and Link reappeared. "Zelda's been gone three hours on a bike ride, dressed in no more than slacks, a sweater, and a light coat! Is she insane?? I'm telling you, Terra, sometimes I worry about that kid."

"Oh, Zelda can take care of herself all right," Malon said with a small scowl. "Calm down, Viv. Link, tell her what you told me our dear Ms. Cleverly did today."

"What she…oh." Link looked around to make sure none of the other Cleverly kids were listening in; eavesdropping would have made their Christmas tree trip totally pointless. "Well, you know that guy who said he was going to come by your house today? Zelda punched him in the face and told him to skip town."

"No!" Vivien gasped. She laughed loud and proud, slapping Link on the back as if he were an old drinking buddy. "For real, our Zellie? That is _class_, my boy, just class! It's about time she did it, too." Her smile faltered somewhat after that, and she took on a slightly more rueful tone as she added, "I hope that jerk doesn't bother her anymore. She deserves a clean break from him."

"That's what I said right from the get-go," Malon insisted in a sing-song voice. "Ever since we were in high school, I knew that bum was no good!"

"Guys, let's not discuss it anymore in here," Terra whispered. "We shouldn't be talking about it while everyone is still bustling around."

"Bustling" seemed to be the perfect word to use, as Vivien's entire main floor soon became covered with Christmas decorations and boxes upon boxes of ornaments, tinsel, and strings of lights. Packing paper was strewn higgledy-piggledy on the floor as people carelessly moved from decorating one aspect of the room to another. Only Clarissa Cleverly did not join in the festivities; she sat alone in an old chair by the crackling fireplace, looking on with a rather sour look on her face. Occasionally one of her grandchildren would run excitedly towards her to try and engage her in the fun, but she dismissed them with a regal wave of her hand. She had no interest in children until they had reached an age at which they could hold an intelligent conversation.

"Hey, kid," Malon said to a random child she didn't recognize. "Go and throw this tinsel on your grandma, but don't tell her who sent you, okay?" She was startled when the young boy looked over at Clarissa and burst into tears. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Little dude, chill out!"

"Malon, what are you doing?" Vivien sighed.

"Are you trying to terrorize my child?" Terra asked, coming over and scooping up her little boy. "What's the matter, sweetheart? Did mean old Malon scare you?"

The boy tearfully shook his head (Malon stuck her tongue out at Terra) and then pointed at his grandmother, who still looked incredibly bored with the proceedings.

All the preparation for the tree was so loud and distracting that no one noticed when Zelda came in through the unlocked front door. She quietly snuck around the foyer and towards the grand staircase that would lead to the floor that her room was on. Nobody saw her duck up the stairs, nobody heard her slam her bedroom door behind her. But even behind the closed door and from a floor up, she could hear her family and in-laws making a racket about that big, stupid tree.

It was definitely not as quiet as the open, snowy road had been. Sure it was a little reckless, maybe even dangerous, for her to have gone out on a slippery, icy, public highway on a dinky bicycle, but it had been so _freeing_. Getting away on her own, being truly alone, let her think clearly for once. It was akin to her routine back home, where once a week she would visit the beach at an extremely early hour and just sit there quietly to ponder various things. It was the only place she could get any time to herself.

_"…fresh, as if issued to children on a beach…"_

She'd read that someplace. Couldn't remember where.

Ugh. She had been wearing the same clothes for two sweaty days in a row, now. Her hair definitely needed to be washed, but she didn't want to take the time to do it at the moment. After searching a few drawers of the dresser in her room, she came across a rubber band, and used it to pull back her glistening, blonde hair. Zelda yanked the crimson sweater up over her head and did not expect it to feel so good. After exercising for so long, it was extremely refreshing to feel a slight breeze coming in from a crack in the window, and for several minutes, Zelda lay on her bare back on her bed. She felt exhausted.

But she couldn't put this off any longer. With a light groan, Zelda sat up and took off her slacks. _I can't believe I biked in slacks_. As she carried them over to her suitcase, she realized that she didn't own any casual clothes of any kind, and she really didn't feel like wearing a skirt or another pair of slacks right now. So she opened the closet and to her surprise saw some not-too-horrifying pajama bottoms hanging next to a laundry hamper. They looked as if they had never been worn; a straight black color save for a light pink stripe that went down each side. Wondering what her associates back at the firm would think of this outfit, she yanked them on. _Hm… suspiciously perfect size_.

The pants looked a little funny with the black, collared T-shirt Zelda put on next, but she didn't really care. It was just her family down there. Of course, that had never stopped her from wanting to look her best before. For what felt like ages, she stared at herself in the mirror—not vainly, but just curious as to whether or not she would actually go downstairs in such a ridiculous outfit. It was just her family, she kept telling herself. Exactly, said another part of her mind. Don't want to impress them? Don't you want to look good, to uphold your image?

"Dear, are you ill?"

Zelda's first immediate thought was that she was glad she was fully dressed before someone had taken advantage of her unlocked door. _Thanks for knocking _was her next thought as her mother strolled casually into the room. "That get-up doesn't quite seem your style, if I may say."

"No, it doesn't, does it?" Zelda said. For some reason, this buoyed her spirits. She liked dressing informally. It was so relaxing.

"All right, you aren't ill," Clarissa said, staring at Zelda's reflection. "And neither is Megan." She saw a confused look briefly take over her daughter's face before it was quickly repressed and Zelda turned around to see her mother eye-to-eye. "Unless you've already forgotten, that's why we were told neither of you came to get Vivien's Christmas tree. Megan got sick from being out in the cold and you didn't want to leave her. She looks perfectly fine to me know, running here and there with this and that to so-and-so."

"All right, mother, I confess," Zelda said with a dramatic gesture admitting defeat. "That was all mere fabrication to get you all out of the house and leave us alone."

"Yes, I _thought_ it was a lie," Clarissa said calmly and smugly, examining her manicured nails. "You don't seem like the type who'd miss out on a chance to be with your sisters and your best friend just to look after your sick daughter."

_Unbelievable!...or…is it, really? _Still, that was quite a low blow and it took Zelda a minute to retaliate. "You're right, I mean, I had the great misfortune of inheriting most of _your _genes, didn't I? Missed your daughter's graduation from college to enter your dog in some sort of competition! Didn't come to see your first grandchild until he was two years old because you were just so swamped with work! Didn't go to your son's wedding because it would've meant missing out on an 'important' luncheon with your society friends! Didn't come to the help of your so-called baby when she was going to have one of her own, all thanks to the fact that she was practically raped!"

Clarissa seemed more horrified by the fact that her toughest daughter had just burst into tears than by the incredibly harsh things she had just said. She sat awkwardly at the end of Zelda's bed, waiting for the girl to collect herself. Just sitting there, waiting, not getting up to comfort her or get a tissue or say "you're right, I was so wrong."

"See! That's what you do!" Zelda nearly shouted (and if it hadn't been so loud downstairs, they might have heard her). "You make it feel like I can't cry in front of you! I was never good enough, mom, _never! _There's something more important than work, and money, and image, and all of it! It's family, mother! You must know what that is, because you've got a big one! Or did you just never realize that remarrying _constantly _would always wind up with more kids?! I hate that you made it this way!"

"What way? What do you mean?" Clarissa barked.

"For six years, ever since my child was born, I thought I was supposed to be just like you!" Zelda sobbed. "I never put her first, _never! _Don't you see how selfish and uncaring that is? Don't you see?? I was just so stupid! No one ever pointed it out to me, I didn't know there was anything else I could do! Viv, Terra, the others, they all broke out of it and they have their lives—they've got k-kids, they have husbands, they've had lasting relationships! Every single one of my siblings and my half-siblings, mom, they're _all _married and happy! And each one of them has a steady job, WHY did you pick on ME!? Why _me?!_"

"Zelda, I don't know what has gotten into you to suddenly make you so hysterical like this," Clarissa said in a dangerously low voice, getting to her feet. "But you _will _get a hold of yourself, right this instant!"

"Mom, just tell me one thing," Zelda whimpered, sinking to her knees in front of her mother. "Please, mom! Do you love me? Did you ever love me?"

"What a stupid question!" Clarissa snorted. "Of course I did! Of course I do! And as far as _my _personal life goes, I've been successful! I've had love! I've made as much money as a Rockefeller! Not just any one of my children could have followed in my footsteps, you were _special! _You, Zelda, you're brilliant! You astound me! I wish I could have been as good a lawyer at your age, really, I do!"

This was high praise coming from Clarissa Cleverly, but all Zelda could notice was the detached, angry tone to it. The woman was trying to justify years of careful molding and lack of real parenting. Zelda's whole life up to now had been Pygmalion. "Sure," Zelda said thickly, tears still coursing down her cheeks. "Sure, you're proud of me! You think I'm smart, you think I'm good at what I do, but that isn't loving me! Do you know the last time I cried before this trip, mom? Do you?!"

Clarissa only gave her an incredulous, "how should I know" look.

"It was when I was a kid and I told you I wanted to a veterinarian," Zelda said, her face still a picture of perfect beauty even as it was twisted up in sadness. "Jack's border collie had just been put to sleep, and I wanted to be a vet! I was going to help all the sick animals, and I was going to make their owners happy. I didn't care about the money, but I thought all of it would please you, but oh no! _You _had other plans for _me_! What if you kill one, Zelda? That's what you asked me, do you remember? What if I kill one while I'm trying to make it better? That just scared me so much, it—it _scared _me, and I cried myself to sleep that night, and I never cried again because you always got upset with me when I did. I had to be tough! I didn't cry when Aunt Laura died, I didn't cry when I got rejected by Yale and Princeton, and I didn't cry when Tony was killed in a car accident, and I didn't cry at all during labor!"

"Very nice, story, Zelda, very nice," Clarissa said loudly, trying to end the conversation. "You'd have made a fine actress!"

"Wait," Zelda whispered, suddenly realizing something. She hadn't thought about the aftermath of one certain night in quite a while. "I lied. I cried one more time."

"Zelda, what does that have to do with anyth—"

"The only other time I went outside California, before now," Zelda said, looking back up at her mother. "I was in New York, and I saw a really sad movie with a boy. The boy wasn't like Marth, he was kind and sweet and so gentle …I'd never met another boy like him before or since. He dropped me off at Terra's and I then I told her about him and then I told her …I told her I was going to marry Marth, which completely threw her off course, and so I had to tell her I was pregnant…" Zelda shivered and let out a sigh. The tears had finally started to cease, leaving only cold, wet spots on her face. She blinked hard to rid herself of the last of them. "I was so frightened ...but I don't know what's wrong with me now! I seem to have turned into a leaky faucet on this trip, I'm crying all over the place! It's all coming out, it's all just coming out. It doesn't have to be this way, mom, it doesn't! I can have it all, I can still do my job but I can be a mom, too! Did you ever figure that out yourself? Do you know that in my daughter's six years of life, I don't think I ever told her I loved her?"

"You going to blame this one on me, too?" Clarissa asked coldly, folding her arms in a disdained manner.

"Maybe I can't," Zelda breathed. "Even though you never once said it to me. Maybe this means something, though." She wiped idly at her face and then chuckled sadly to herself. "Maybe I only cry when I'm out of California and with Link."

"Link?" Clarissa said a little too quickly. "What do you mean?"

"It was him," Zelda whispered, unable to keep a wide grin from spreading onto her countenance. "He was the boy who took me to the sad movie, he's the one who first instilled in me a belief that…" She clicked her tongue once as she tried to find the right words. "There is love in this world. You just have to be open to looking for it. I was just too afraid to do that and now I… I think I'll be all right. I told him I love him."

Clarissa stared at her in shock. "Is that what you were doing when we were all out getting the tree?" she asked in a disgusted whisper. "Were you having sex with him?"

"I am so disgusted that you would ask me that," Zelda retorted, launching herself to her feet. Her mother was still two or three inches taller than her, but at the moment, Zelda felt it in her to be a giant. "Is that the only word you immediately equate love with, mom? Is that it?"

"Well, maybe it is, considering I'm talking to _you _and you are the only one of my children to have had a child when you were still a teenager," Clarissa said icily.

"This is not the same thing!" Zelda said, her voice raising in volume again. "I was just a stupid KID, mother! Marth was like a teen idol to me, I was blindly infatuated with him, call it any stupid, gross thing you want! This is _different_, and I really shouldn't be surprised that when I tell you there is a man out there who I really love, who I truly love and know loves me, the first question you'd ask is if I got Vivien to hustle you all out of the house so I could get him into bed while my six-year-old daughter was here!"

Once again stunned by Zelda's forth-rightness with her, Clarissa was left rather speechless. Forgetting that she was still wearing the collared T-shirt and the pajama pants, Zelda stormed towards the door. "We have more to discuss here, young lady!" Clarissa hissed. "Where do you think you are going?"

"To do something that will most likely utterly horrify you," Zelda said, and was about to slam the door after her before saying, "But don't think that I'm doing this just to spite you, don't you _dare _have the spine to imagine that's why I'm doing it. It will only be a nice perk."

Zelda shut the door and hurried for the staircase, getting a fair head start. Clarissa remained behind; their conversation was really only just setting in, and for once she didn't think she had the strength to go after Zelda. Her daughter, on the other hand, felt elated that she had finally, in a way, stood up to the old broad. She practically sprinted into the room where everyone was still congregated around the tree; she was looking unnaturally flushed and almost excited about something.

"Hey, Zel, where you been?" asked Jack from his position on a ladder, stinging some lights higher up on the tree.

"Doing some serious thinking," she said up to him. She scanned the room for Link, and quickly spotted him talking to Malon. He was wearing a Santa Hat that Megan had placed on his head, and he and Malon were now helping the girl to untangle a bunch of unruly tinsel. Without so much as a preliminary hello, Zelda walked up to him and somewhat matter-of-factly announced, "I would say yes."

"What?" Malon asked, when Link couldn't speak.

Zelda focused her eyes on Link's surprised, loving, blue ones. "If you asked me," she said slowly, "I would say yes."


	15. Round One

_Dear Diary,_

_Tonight = EPIC WIN. _

_We were all pitching in to help decorate Viv's house for Christmas, and I was just chatting with Link when all of a sudden Zelda comes waltzing up to us, interrupts me, and says to Link, "I would say yes." I asked her what she was talking about, and she had her jaw set like she does when she's about to wrap up a killer closing argument—and she said to Link, "If you asked me, I would say yes." __Needless to say, for a few moments I was sort of lost. But they were looking at each other like he was Paul Newman and she was Joanne Woodward, and it struck me then that I had never seen so genuine or excited a smile on Zelda's face. Link took a step back and fell into a chair, slapping a hand to his forehead and laughing. Zelda joined him in both the laughter in the chair, and I finally got it._

_"SHUT UP!" I yelled, jumping up and down._

_"Malon, what's going on here?" Terra asked me, appearing at my side._

_I didn't want to say anything because it was Link and Zelda's business, so I just pointed at them and squeaked in excitement yet again. Terra looked at me as if I were ill or something, but then she noticed Link taking a scrap of silver tinsel, bending it into a circular shape, and slipping it onto Zelda's finger. Terra's eyes got as wide as saucers and she mouthed wordlessly at the couple. _

_Then Vivien came over to see what all the fuss was about, and when she caught on, too, her jaw dropped. "Where's mom?" she asked in a hushed voice._

_"The old curmudgeon is upstairs," Zelda replied, sitting calmly next to Link and putting her arm around his shoulder. "Feel free to tell her about this, I don't care. For once in my life, I'm doing something for me, and… for once in my life, I know it's the right thing." That was an extremely uncharacteristically cute thing for Zelda to say, and I had to wonder if this really was my best friend. She rested her head on Link's shoulder and sighed softly in content. I've never seen her so at peace, so happy._

_"How about your job?" Vivien asked, her eyebrows contracting slightly. "Are you still going to pay Link to nanny his, uh… step-daughter?"_

_"You make a good point," Zelda frowned. "I hadn't thought about that."_

_"Whoa!" I gasped. Everyone stared at me, but I didn't say anything; I didn't want to worry Zelda or Link. It's just that in all the years I've known Zelda, she has almost never made a single decision without thinking it through piece by piece first. This didn't seem like a tactful thing to say, however, so I kept my trap shut. But I think it's great. It shows that Zelda is following her heart. _

_"Link, what did you do before I hired you?" she asked curiously._

_"I was writing a sports column for the town paper," he answered. "I was up for a promotion, too, but …I got word from my mom, and just felt that I needed to move over to California to be near her."_

_Why can't I find a man like this?_

_"Wait, that's perfect!" Vivien laughed. "Our brother Will's Los Angeles division has been looking for a new sports writer ever since Hildy Johnson quit! This is FATE!" Her glee was infectious, and for some reason or another I started to guffaw. But she was right! The planets were aligning, everything is just going so dang well. "And you don't have to worry about the pay, either," Viv said in a stage whisper. "He's a Cleverly, so you know he sure isn't cheap!" _

_"Depends on which definition you use," Zelda muttered. She was looking over at the staircase, and we all followed her gaze. Clarissa was coming down the stairs just then, looking sort of like a wounded lion: her ego had taken a fall of some sort, but she didn't want to let it show. All eyes were on Mrs. Cleverly as she crossed the gargantuan living room, except for mine. I looked back at Zelda and Link—to my surprise, she had shifted so that she was now sitting on his lap and she had both arms around his neck. Oooh, that sure caused a crease or two in old Clarissa's countenance! _

_Her eyes narrowed at the tinsel ring that Zelda wore and her own fingers slowly curled into fists. One of them unclenched so that she could extend her hand, palm up, towards Link and Zelda. "So," she said in a dry, dangerous voice. "This is how you'd like to get back at me?"_

_"Mom," Terra said in a warning voice, drawing out the one syllable. I half-hoped Clarissa would go on—this is the sort of drama I usually only get on my soaps!_

_"I already told you," Zelda said, cool as a cucumber. "If you think I'm doing this to spite you, you're even more self-centered than I thought. And I pity you, you know. I don't know if you've ever felt anything so pure and beautiful as I feel for this man. In fact I just want to take him back up to my room and have sex with him all week long." OKAY, I admit, she did not say that last sentence, I just made it up. I wish she'd say it, though—really knock the socks of her mom, that's for sure! And I know she's thinking it!!_

_Anyway, at this point, Link tapped Zelda and she moved off of him so that he could get to his feet. I felt like I was watching a movie when he stood in front of Clarissa Cleverly, almost her height exactly (a tad taller). I was standing close by him so I could see that he was trembling and had put his hands in his pockets in an effort to calm himself down. I'll try to reproduce what he said as accurately as possible:_

_"Mrs. Cleverly." Very smart move there, not to get all informal and just call her Clarissa. She'd hated it when Zelda's friends growing up called her by her first name. But anyway, I digress. Link went on: "I am in love with your daughter. I fell in love with her six years ago, when we met for one night. I saw that she was with an odious young man and she and I went to a movie together, just the two of us. I was fascinated by her. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."_

_"A thing, is that it?" Clarissa very rudely interrupted him, not bothering to try and hide the loathing in her voice. "My daughter is just a 'thing' to you? Well how very romantic. She was—she IS—a very beautiful woman, Mr…" I had to laugh. She didn't know his last name. Awkwaaaard! No one dared point this out to her, though, so she just very clumsily went on, "Link," and injected his name with as much hatred as possible. "I don't appreciate your saying you love my daughter just because she's attractive."_

_"With all due respect, Mrs. Cleverly, you did not allow me to finish," Link said. "There's a reason why I said your daughter's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, not person. Poetic figures of speech might have compared one's beauty to a rose, or sunset on a summer's day, or a clear blue sky. To my eighteen-year-old self, all those paled in comparison to Zelda. Then, after I'd gotten over the initial shock of seeing her, we just talked. We talked and I had never spoken so candidly or deeply with anyone in my life. Walking away from her that night was that hardest thing I'd ever had to do, and I am so angry with myself for not trying to walk back into it sooner. But thank God I did."_

_Once again, my eyes shot to Zelda. She was still sitting on the chair, staring at the floor. To my great surprise, she was blushing. Not like she was embarrassed by what Link was saying, but like she was very moved, and unaccustomed to such unadulterated consideration towards her. _

_"I must have been an idiot not to recognize her right away when she hired me again," Link continued. "But I didn't. All I knew was that I had an employer who I wanted to help the best I could. Not just by watching her daughter, but just…" He seemed to struggle to find the right words. "I wanted her to be happy." That's when he sort of started to tear up, which made me wince, because if there's one thing Clarissa Cleverly can't stand, it's crying—especially if it's a man. "I wanted so much for her, and I didn't even care at first if it was __me__ who was making her happy, I just wanted her to be happy no matter what it took."_

_"You're saying she was unhappy?" Clarissa balked. "Such a kind remark for you to make, Link! And how very presumptuous! Thank the Lord you happened to step in at just the right time and pull her out of it!"_

_By this time, people were awkwardly draining out of the room. Mostly they were relatives (plus all the in-laws) who were less comfortable around Zelda and felt that this should be a very private discussion. Clarissa Cleverly doesn't leave a room to talk; it's your job to leave if you don't want to listen in. All the kids were quickly hurried away, and there went the background noise. Soon it was just Link, Zelda, Clarissa, Vivien, Jack, and me. Terra tried with her eyes to get me and her siblings to follow her, but there's no way I could walk out on something this juicy unless I was expressly asked to._

_"He's right, mother," Zelda suddenly said, still looking at the floor from where she sat. "I was unhappy. That's actually putting it very nicely. I was stuck in just a black hole of… of depression, all this time… and Link brought me back into the world again."_

_"Seen the light, have you, dear?" Clarissa asked. "Let me tell you something, young lady, you're not even twenty-five years old yet! I've lived, I've experienced things, I have been where you are! This is the first man who you have ever been in close contact with since your disastrous first marriage! For all you know, you're just settling!"_

_"Excuse me, mother, but you of all people should know that my age has very little to do with my life and my experiences," Zelda shot back. You go, girl! She went on: "I've come into close enough contact with men since Marth, maybe just not in the same way. I've gotten ogled at when I go into stores, I've been groped in a crowd, I've been constantly underestimated by every attorney I go up against! It's a lot easier to read men than you think it is, mom. But do you have any idea how long and painstaking of a process it was for me to realize that Link was different? It's been months! I just stood there on my pedestal, like you, wondering what on earth a man his age could gain by looking after my daughter—but I bet you know what's coming next, don't you? I'll tell you something, I envy him. He has a better relationship with my daughter than __I__ do. He's learned so much and I know so little." _

_"Are you marrying him for Megan, then?" was Clarissa's next tactic. She pursed her lips before saying the word "marrying," and nearly spat it, the old crone. _

_"Without Megan, I never would have realized what kind of a person I had hired," Zelda replied. "She plays into this but is far from being the sole reason for my wanting to get married again. Coincidentally, though, ever think maybe this isn't any of your business?" Zelda asked. I shifted my glance and saw that Jack had left. Vivien tugged my sleeve and nodded towards the next room. "No!" Zelda suddenly said, looking over at us. "Don't leave—Viv, you can go if you want, but Malon, I'm calling you to the stand." _

_I raised my eyebrows and Vivien silently exited. "Character witness?" I guessed. Zelda nodded. I hated to be brought into this, but as it seemed to be the only logical way to justify my presence, I spoke up. "Well, Mrs. C, I don't think there's anything else that can be said to further stress Link's personality. I would vouch for him in any situation in any place at any time. I know you don't think much of me and you never have—" I could see her lip curling in dislike—"and if you don't want to listen to him and you don't want to listen to Zelda, I don't know why you'd listen to me." _

_"You've been staying with them, haven't you?" Clarissa inquired, putting one hand on her hip and the other resting in her sweater pocket. _

_"Yes, for a few months. All the time Link's been there, I've been there."_

_"And he means what he says?" _

_"He's never said a false word to my knowledge."_

_"And Megan?"_

_"She's crazy about him," I laughed. "If you ask me, there'd be no greater father for her on this earth."_

_"How do you know he doesn't want to marry Zelda for her money?"_

_Link looked quickly over at me and I bit my tongue. I'd promised not to bring this up, but now I felt like I had to. "Well, there's an interesting answer to that one," I said slowly. "So far, Link's gotten a check at the end of every month that he works, and so far he hasn't taken any of it. I mean, he's taken it, but he's been saving the money for Megan and wanted to wait for a good time to ask Zelda when he could invest it in a legitimate bank… deal thing."_

_Zelda stared at him in complete surprise, but her mother seemed not to have noticed. Clarissa looked for a moment as if she were going to tell me "no further questions," but she didn't say anything and just turned back to Zel. "I think you are making a very rash, very unwise decision, Zelda. You're so intelligent, probably the sharpest of all my children, but when it comes to matters of the heart—"_

_"—you're afraid I got an attitude from __your__ side of the family?" Zelda cut in. "Mom, how dare you have the gumption to give me this sort of lecture! You're on your sixth husband, and had kids by five of them! Which of us is the romantic, which one of us is flighty? You're nothing but a hypocrite!"_

_I could not believe it when Clarissa took a step forward and slapped Zelda across the face. I thought that sort of thing only ever happened on TV. My eyes darted quickly to Link, who looked as if his initial reaction was to kick the old lady in the stomach. But before any of us could do anything, she had turned swiftly on her heel and marched out the front door. Zelda, who hadn't so much as flinched at the slap, just stood there. _

_"Zel?" Link asked quietly, walking towards her. "You all right?"_

_"Please," she scoffed, the tough, I'm-a-lawyer-and-can-handle-anything side of her coming back out. "I've had to endure much worse." Without missing a beat, she then casually remarked, "You lied to me, Link."_

_"Er, if this is about the checks—"_

_"No, it's not about that, although I see that's a conversation we're going to have in the near future," Zelda said. "But about your job. That night I first took you out to dinner for an interview, you never said anything about having been a sports writer. You talked about life-guarding and working in a pet store."_

_"Wow, you've got quite a memory," he chuckled. "I didn't bring it up because I didn't know if it was, uh… classy enough. I was trying to impress you."_

_"Well, nothing like sitting around half-naked in a chair blowing a whistle or walking around a store sweeping up chinchilla poop to get you in with a Cleverly," I said. They both looked at me and for a moment their expressions were kind of freaking me out, but then Link burst out laughing and Zelda granted me a small smile. "Hey, is that the last time you two went out to dinner together?" I asked. "For your interview?"_

_"Now that you mention it, I guess so," Zelda said slowly._

_"Unless your sister would find it to be very rude, I'd like to remedy that," Link said, taking both of Zelda's hands in his. _

_"Nonsense!" I half-guffawed. "I'll go ask her for recommendations of good nearby places." And so off I went, and now I'm kind of annoyed because it was my idea to send Link and Zelda away for dinner so now I can't eavesdrop on what all's going on! Ah, speaking of food, Terra's calling me down now to eat. The second that Link and Zelda left the house, I ran upstairs to write everything down as best I could because I didn't want to forget a second of it! _

_I may have to ask someone too feed me; both of my hands are totally cramped._

-----

The drinks had arrived, the food had been ordered, and now Link and Zelda were left to their own devices at their table in a quaint (intimate) Italian restaurant Vivien had recommended in town. A little smile found its way onto Link's face as he eyed the tinsel ring that Zelda still had on her finger.

"So we're really doing this?" he asked softly, and her lavender-blue eyes looked up to meet his. "You and me?"

"Link," she said back in a whisper. "If you'll have me …I don't think there's anything in this world that could make me happier."

"I'm in, Zelda, I'm all in," he assured her, reaching across the tiny table and taking her hand. "I meant everything I said to your mother, and there's a lot more that I didn't get to tell her."

"Can I ask you something?" Zelda asked.

"Anything."

"If you recall, my associate Eliza Schreiber went to high school with you," Zelda said. "When I told her I had hired you, she started telling me some of the things you did back in your teenage days. Oh, nothing embarrassing!" she added when Link turned the slightest bit red. "But she _did _mention something like you… had dropped out, or moved away, and then went back…?"

"I didn't drop out, although I'm sure that's what a lot of people assumed," Link said. "That wouldn't make very much sense, though, because if I'd just got up and left and had no schooling whatsoever, there's no way I could have come back at eighteen and graduated with all of them." He withdrew his hand from Zelda's and grumbled a deep sigh. "I was very different when I was in high school, Zel. You've met my father, you know what he's like—I tried way too hard to undermine his authority, and finally he just got sick of it. He thought sending me to military school would straighten me out."

"Military school?" Zelda asked. "Oh, my…"

"Yup," Link said casually, leaning back and shrugging. "I spent two years in that fine place. Murnau's Military Academy for Incurably Delinquent Boys."

"Am I engaged to an incurable delinquent?" Zelda teased him.

Link let out another laugh. "Heck, no! I used to think of myself as sort of this cool, tough guy, you know? But then these other boys there, man, some of them really _were _messed up. I was like a little sparrow compared to them. My drill sergeant didn't think too highly of me, either. He called me a lot of things I don't care to repeat in front of a lady, but he hated my guts, that was for sure. That sort of inspired me to work a lot harder, I wanted that guy to be really surprised. So I bulked a bit and finally got enough of a reputation to gain some respect from the other guys. The summer after my junior year, though, my mom was so distraught at the thought of my being some place like that that she finally was able to convince my dad to let me come back home."

"Were you glad?" Zelda asked. "To go back to a public school?"

"Mostly, yes," Link laughed. "Murnau's was tough, but it taught me a lot. It taught me respect and how to look out for someone else and how to make sure my own back was covered. The only thing I did not like so much about returning to my old high school was that I… discovered my former principal had retired and he was replaced by my old drill sergeant."

"What? You're kidding!" Zelda gasped.

"Wish I was. Beats me how he wound up there, but there he was, and he wasn't all too pleased to see me. I'm afraid I may have been a bit of a jerk to him, but I just had to show him that in my old school, no one messed with me. And nobody messes with me today, either," he said. "That includes your mother."

"Heh, bet she makes your old drill sergeant look like a complete pussy," Zelda snorted, idly picking up her glass of water.

"You'd know best about that," Link laughed. "Well, okay. All my cards are out on the table, now. Feel free to ask me anything else, Zelda. I don't want to keep any secrets from you."

Zelda wanted to reply by saying the same thing, but knew she couldn't. There was some things Link could just never know—she didn't want anybody to hear about them, even him. It was better that way, she'd keep quiet for his own sake. "There is one more thing I'd like to ask you," she said. "When…" She took a deep breath and let out a shaky laugh. "This sounds so strange, but when do… you think we should get married?"

"What about that sounds strange to you?" Link chuckled.

"It just feels a little odd to be saying it," Zelda answered, smiling but not able to look directly at Link. "Married, I'm… getting married. I sort of can't believe it."

"Zelda, I don't want to rush you or make you feel pushed," Link said very seriously. "I know the question seemed like it just… came out of nowhere, so I would understand if you just felt obligated to quickly give me an answer."

"I know this is a serious thing, Link," Zelda told him, taking his hand back. "But as I thought about it… life without you in it just doesn't seem like a possibility any more. And I don't just mean for Megan's sake." She grinned in a slightly feline manner (almost reminiscent of her mother) before leaning across the table and giving Link a delicate kiss. Had their food not arrived at just that moment, she probably would have deepened it enough to make their fellow restaurant patrons uncomfortable.

"What was it you wanted to say a minute ago?" Link asked once their waiter had left again. "You said you were going to ask me something else."

"Oh, right," Zelda said, a faint blush tingeing her cheeks. "I wanted to ask you when you want t-to… get…"

"Married?" Link guessed, and she grinned and looked down at her plate, nodding. "That's a good question, Zel. Do you feel any particular—"

"Soon," Zelda answered before Link could even finish his sentence. "Let's get married soon, Link. Long engagements are for sissies. When something is right it's right, and I've been partially blind ever since I met you. I don't really believe in fate or destiny, but …I do feel like we are supposed to be together."

Link flashed another of his infectious grins at her. "I agree one hundred percent, Zelda Cleverly." He paused, wondering if she would want to take on his name and be known as Zelda Vaughn. The only reason he didn't bring it up was because Zelda had gone through so many name changes in her life that he didn't know whether she just wanted to stick with the one she had.

As if she had read his mind, Zelda sucked in a long single stand of spaghetti and said "Call me…Ishmael."

------

"Is it just a given that there's always an exorbitant amount of leftovers when you get Italian?" Zelda asked as she and Link carried an unusually large amount of take-out boxes to the car Vivien had lent them. "I mean, I think this is more than we actually ordered. How is that?"

"One of many mysteries left unsolved from Antonio's," Link laughed.

"Too bad the food wasn't even very good," Zelda said.

"Oh, it was…okay," Link chimed in, rather unconvincingly. He started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

She had to laugh at that. "But the waiters were so kind and insistent! Vivien usually has such good taste in food. I think I know the reason she must have told us to go there, though. She can be sentimental when called upon." Zelda issued a small sigh and stared out the window at the passing landscape. "Our dad was named Antonio."

"Is your father Italian?" Link asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No, he was…a quarter Italian," Zelda replied, having to think about it first. "Yeah, his mom's dad was Italian, and his name was Antonio, and my dad was her first child so she named him after her father. So I guess that makes me an eighth Italian, doesn't it?" Her hand went up to her mouth to cover another laugh that she worried might turn into something more sad if she didn't shut up. "I don't look it though, do I? More Nordic, that's what everyone tells me. That's the Cleverly side."

There was a slight sense of foreboding in her tone; an unhappy ending to this man's life. "What happened to him? Your parents divorced?"

"Actually, no," Zelda responded, drawing her hand away from her mouth. There were no tears, surprisingly. Well, she hadn't cried when it happened, why should she now? "He died in a car accident when I was fourteen. It's a shame, too, because I think my mom may have actually loved him. Or cared about him, at least. It was impossible to hate Tony, it really was. Now that I think about it, you sort of remind me of him," Zelda murmured. "He cared about other people, he really did, and they all loved him. I just didn't appreciate him until it was too late. I'm sorry you never got to meet him."

"Sounds like a great guy," Link said gravely. There was a bit of a silence between them then, but it felt very natural. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable in any way, but Link still felt as if he should say something. "Zelda?"

"Yes?" she whispered.

He took his eyes off the road for a moment to look over at her. "I'm sorry."

She let out a quick breath that may have passed off for a rueful laugh, and curled her fingers around Link's when he reached out his free hand to her. "Thank you," she said in her quiet voice. "Thank you for everything, Link. I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you enough."

"Don't you concern yourself with that," Link said as he turned on to Vivien's street. "Right now I think we ought to focus on getting your mother in a state where she'd want to come see our wedding."

Zelda's insides squirmed at the word, but she didn't bring it up. "Do you really think that's possible? After I chewed her out earlier?"

"If you don't do it, I'll talk to her myself."

"Ha! Be my guest."

They reached Vivien's house, and as Zelda leaned towards the back of the car to pick up her left-over boxes, Link got out and walked around the car to open her door for her. For the briefest of moments she felt her mother's femi-nazi side telling her to say she was capable of opening a door on her own, but it was instantly smothered by a more rational thought: of course Link knew she could an open a door. He was just helping her out. Zelda awkwardly climbed out of the car and said, "Thank you, Link."

"Chivalry ain't dead," Link said by way of response, shrugging with a smile.

They were immediately apprehended by a horde of hungry kids when the entered the house, and soon found themselves no longer encumbered by the surprising number of take-out boxes. Megan had been among the children to skip up to them, but before darting away, she had hugged Link and Zelda simultaneously, utterly squealing with delight. _I am doing the right thing_, Zelda thought, blinking some tears out of her eyes as she watched Megan dash off.

"Hey, sis, mind if I borrow the bro-to-be for a minute?" Jack asked, coming up and half-grabbing Link by the shoulder. "Don't worry!" he laughed upon seeing Zelda's suspicious expression. "We just want to talk to him, and this'd be a good opportunity for you to go chat with the girls—they're waiting for you in the kitchen."

"Who all wants to talk with me?" Link asked as Zelda unwillingly left him and Jack steered him towards the garage.

"Just the boys, pal, I want to make sure you've met everyone," Jack replied, not able to understand why Link seemed so apprehensive. "And by everyone, I mean Zelda's brother Will." It took Link a minute to get what Jack meant by this, and then remembered that Zelda and Jack had had different fathers. Once in the cold, musky garage, he found himself shaking hands with a tall man who wore glasses. "Link, meet Will. Will, meet Link. I've just been telling Will about the possibility of your working for his paper."

"We'll have to do a formal interview sometime, and I'll need to see some of your past work," Will told him. "But if you know how to type on a computer, chances are we'll just end up hiring you anyway—we're desperate for someone ever since Hildy jilted me and quit to 'settle down.' Certainly not the Cleverly way. From what Jack's been telling me, you're an all right guy, Vaughn. We just have one small request before you go and marry our little sister." He glanced at Jack and said, "Well, _his _little sister, anyway. Technically Zel's older than me, but you know how it is."

"No, he doesn't," Jack said gruffly, picking up an old sack of flour and setting it on a chair. "He's an only child." He pulled out a sharpie and drew a demented face on the flour sack, consisting of crossed eyes and a tongue sticking out. "Okay, Link," Jack said, stepping back and tossing the marker into a nearby trash bin. "Pretend this sack of flour is Marth Malloy."

Link pulled back one fist, then fired it into the center of the sack. His knuckles easily tore through the thick paper lining and flour spilled everywhere as the steel stool toppled and fell over. Jack grinned and patted Link on the back. "That's a boy. Glad to know we're on the same page."

Zelda, meanwhile, was not on quite the same page as her sisters. "What's this?" she inquired as Vivien handed her a small slip of paper with a list of hastily written down items on it.

"Those are all the good hotels that are within a ten mile radius," Vivien answered.

"Hotels?" Zelda asked, sounding hurt. "Do you want me to leave?"

"I told you she wouldn't get this," Malon snorted, flicking the side of Viv's head.

"We—okay, _I—_thought you and Link ought to, you know, have a bit of time to yourselves," Vivien said breathlessly. "Away from all the loud and crazy chaos going on here, I mean. That way, you two can… get… better acquainted…?"

"Geez, Viv," Zelda chuckled, handing back the list. "That's very nice of you and all, but it won't be necessary."

"But your room is right next to the one with the kids in it!" Vivien cried. "And Link's room is by Will and his wife's! What if you two make a lot of noise and it keeps them awake?"

"And I told _you _that _Viv _wouldn't get this," Terra said, shooting a smirk at Malon, who was trying not to laugh.

"Vivien, that's not what I meant," Zelda explained. "I don't have plans to do… that with Link until later."

"Later?" Vivien gasped, her eyebrows raising so high that they were in danger of disappearing into her hair. "What—you mean… until after you're _married?_"

"I think that Link will be fine with that idea," Zelda replied calmly. "And it seems okay to me, too. Besides, we aren't waiting that long, this is going to happen fast. The last time I got married, I did things backwards, I… want to do it the old-fashioned this way. Link strikes me as the old-fashioned type."

"Good for you, honey," Terra said, drawing Zelda into a hug.

"You're afraid, aren't you?" Vivien queried, narrowing her eyes.

"Of what?" Zelda laughed. "Getting pregnant, or having sex? Vivien, I'm clearly no virgin, and although I sort of have been up in a nunnery for the last six years, that doesn't mean I've forgotten everything. And if I _had_, it'd still be hard for me to be in the dark about this: in case you forgot, I work in a law firm at LA, where all anyone seems able to talk about is their sex lives. If I hadn't picked up on something by now, I'm definitely not as clever as I thought!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry this update took so long!! I hope this chapter was okay- coming up we have bridal showers and awkward wedding nights! Huzzah!  
Oh, and if you want to make me deliriously happy, click on the hyper-link on my profile that routes you to fictionpress.


	16. It's My Party

**A/N**: WOW, I'm SO sorry it's taken me forever to update!! There's just been an onslaught of papers, tests, and work (etc) these past few weeks that have been driving me CRAZY and leaving me very little time to write. I'm imagining this story being finished in 20 chapters or less, so that means there'll be a few more after this installation! Hope you're not disappointed with this one:

* * *

Early the next morning, all the kids were in the basement watching cartoons, but the only adults who were awake and in the house were Malon and Zelda. Link had left about an hour ago to do some jogging, and had planned on asking Zelda to join him, but she'd been asleep then and he hadn't wanted to disturb her. Instead, he had left a short note by the clock on her nightstand—whose alarm, if Link had waited fifteen minutes longer, would have awakened Zelda. Presently, though, Zelda was in the kitchen and had just shown the note to Malon.

"Awww!" the red-head gushed, reading through the cute little love note. "That is _so _sweet! He totally loves you!"

The top half of Zelda's body leaned over the table; her chin was resting on her folded arms, and a wide smile graced her otherwise tired-looking countenance. "Is this really happening to me?" she whispered. "This has been so fast, so sudden, so out of nowhere …I'm almost afraid to trust it."

"Okay, well, that feeling needs to stop right there," Malon said, handing her friend back the note (Zelda took it and folded it, placing it carefully in her pocket). "For the umpteenth time, passing up on this opportunity would be the most grave mistake you could possibly make. Take it from someone who knows the dude well: he's absolutely, one-hundred percent sincere, and I highly doubt that even a team of wild horses could drag him away from you and that marvelous daughter of yours."

"You're right," Zelda muttered. "I know you are, I… I just get so hung up every time I go through another round in the ring with my mother."

"What? Come on, Zel, that was last night."

"I know, but the after-effects still haven't worn off completely. She may not have necessarily won that argument, but she always leaves me doubting my decisions and whatever I've said …I know," she said, looking up and seeing that Malon was about to interrupt. "It doesn't really make any sense, but that face-off we had last night was one of the scariest things I've ever done in my life, maybe second only to the fight we had in my room only moments before _that _one. After two bouts with her, I just feel so… wrong."

"You feel wrong? What does that even mean? Zelda, don't let her get to you like this, it's just what she wants!"

"Goddesses, I _know!_" Zelda growled, hitting her forehead with her fist as if to physically force out Clarissa's scathing comments and seeds of doubt. "I hate that she does this to me, but I can't help it! Every time she talks down to me like that, it's… it's as if I'm four years old again, constantly on the verge of tears because she scared me—and then learning never, ever to cry, because it's …a sign of weakness, isn't that awful? Our relationship was like some Pavlovian experiment; whenever I cried, she would yell at me or spank me until I learned not to cry anymore."

Malon reached out and grabbed her friend's shuddering arm. "Zel, I'm so sorry, that's terrible. Er… you… don't get mad at Megan when she cries, do you?"

"Of course not," Zelda hotly replied. She thought about it for a moment. "I don't even remember the last time she cried…"

"Hm." Malon didn't want to bring it up, but she wondered if Megan had somehow gotten the impression from Zelda one way or another that a crying Cleverly was not to be tolerated. She looked up when Terra and Vivien walked into the kitchen, both wearing long bathrobes and the latter clutching a mug of coffee. "Where'd you get that?" Malon asked, peering into Vivien's cup as the black-haired woman sat down. "Wouldn't you have had to come to the kitchen to get coffee?"

"Yes," Vivien yawned. "Which is what I did last night. This is sort of cold." She downed a long drain of it. "Doesn't taste too bad, though. Anyway." Vivien turned her attention to Zelda, who was now looking apprehensively at the overly-giddy expression on Terra's face. "Ter and I have a proposition for you, Zelda. Now I know what you will most likely say at the outset, so I just want to tell you to relax and think about everything we want to tell you before you jump in, okay? This isn't a huge deal, but you always—"

"We want to throw you a bridal shower!" Terra blurted out.

"Excuse me? No," was Zelda's immediate answer.

"_Nein!_" Vivien said, reaching across the table and slapping the side of Zelda's head. "I told you not to say anything until you heard us out!"

"Oh my gosh! A bridal shower?! That'd be SO much fun!" Malon giggled.

"Oh sure, don't slap _her_," Zelda remarked, as Vivien and Terra both smiled at Malon. "She spoke up before you were done, too!"

"Yes, well, Malon's more sensible than you are," Terra explained. "Zelda, if you let me and Vivien throw you a bridal shower, you don't have to buy Christmas presents for either of us, or for our husbands! That's how much we want this, we want it for you! Oh Zelda, I've always wanted to throw you a shower! You wouldn't let us give you one when you got married to Marth—"

"We didn't like him," Vivien cut in by way of explanation.

"—and you didn't want there to be a big to-do with Megan, so we didn't get to have a baby shower, either. Zelda, you and Link you're like—you're Romeo and Juliet, you're Jack and Rose, you're Jamal and Latika! Just a small, intimate, bridal shower, no big deal!"

"Okay, before you say anything, let me add in my two cents," Malon said, speaking over Zelda. "I was originally planning on forcing a bachelorette party on you without your knowledge, and was also toying with the idea of sending a male stripper to your office. If you consent to this plan of Terra and Vivien's, I promise to call off my whole idea in deference to theirs."

Zelda, whose jaw had dropped at the words "male stripper," just stared wordlessly at her friend. Terra and Vivien high-fived Malon, who leaned back in her chair with a smug expression on her face. "All right," Zelda said slowly, once she had regained her composure. "IF I were to let you guys do this, how would—"

"I'm so glad you asked," Vivien said. "We thought that since all our female family is here anyway—as is Malon, your BFF—we'd just throw you a party right here! And if there's anyone back in California you want to invite, Terra and I will personally finance up to four friends' flights to Arkansas for a day."

"What?! You've got to be kidding me!"

"About flying out your friends? Of course we're not!" Terra laughed. "In case you forgot, Vivien is about the highest-paid doctor this side of the Mississippi, and I, well, I am simply married to an oil tycoon. Are you afraid they'd miss work? Whatever, most of your friends are lawyers, right? So they wouldn't have a conscience about lying and calling in sick for a day, would they?"

"If you _were_ to invite anyone from California, who would it be?" Malon said, as Zelda once again seemed too shocked to be able to respond.

"Well…just two people come to mind, really," she mumbled. _Wow, two people? Do I really not have any friends back home? _"Schreiber, from the office, and Impa, my neighbor. …AH! IMPA!" She gasped loudly, eliciting both fear and amusement from the three other women in the room. "Oh my Goddesses, Link's mother! And Schreiber, she was his classmate in high school, but—_Impa! _His mom, that's how I met him in the first place, through his mother, she set him up with the job!"

"Whoa, no way," Vivien said. "That's incredible! Oh man, Zel, we've got to fly her out! Here and this Schreiber person, are they all you'd want to invite? Because as already mentioned, Terra and I are willing to take on two more."

"You guys, I don't even want you to do this, I'm humoring you enough as it is, aren't I?" Zelda groaned through her hands. "Or must we really go through it? I hardly even know anyone back home, I've just been so tied up with work—made more enemies than I have friends. Besides Schreiber and Impa, the only person I've ever even had half a normal conversation with is Megan's piano teacher—"

"Excellent, we'll invite her, then," Terra said, perking up and taking out a slip of paper. "What's her name?"

"No! Don't invite her, she hates me."

"What? Who could hate old charming little you?" Vivien asked, leaning over and pinching Zelda's cheek. "Come on, now, you brought her up so you have to tell us. You know you're exaggerating—this person doesn't hate you. She probably just holds you in very high respect, and would die of gratitude and awe if she were to receive word that you wanted to invite her to your bridal shower."

"She'll just say no."

"That's an option."

"I'm not going to drop this, Zelda," Terra said, poking a pencil in her sister's face. "Come on now, tell us. The more the merrier, after all!"

"FINE, her name is Saria Deku—and by the way, do you either of you know how crazy you two are for doing this?" Zelda asked, looking from one woman to the next.

"Yes," Terra and Vivien replied simultaneously. The latter continued: "And just in case you wanted to know, we've set the date for this Saturday, which is the day before you leave Arkansas. That gives your little friends three days to respond and tell us whether or not they feel like plane-hopping over here for this shin-dig. In the mean time, let us prepare for Thanksgiving!"

"Oh my gosh, that's today," Malon realized. "All the Christmas decorations around here were totally throwing me off!" She sniffed the air. "_Oh! _That's why it smells like turkey in here!"

"Yeah," Vivien groaned. "I put that thing in two hours ago. So …I am going back to bed now. Goodnight."

"Um, morning," Terra called after her as Vivien, moving at a snail's pace, walked out of the kitchen. "Well!" Terra said brightly. "Looks as if I have a couple of phone calls to make, eh? Malon, keep Zelda distracted down here so that I can go find her cell and make any appropriate calls."

"It's on the dresser in the room I'm staying in," Zelda groaned, putting her head down on the table. After she heard Terra exit, Zelda said through her hands, "Oy, remind me why I'm letting them do this!"

"Because you're a good person who lets her sisters have fun every now and then," Malon promptly replied. "Go on, Zel! It'll be so much fun. Presents, people fawning over you, cutesy cards …oh." Realization dawned on her face. "Yeah, that's pretty much everything you hate all rolled up into one ball, isn't it?"

"Die," Zelda mumbled. She looked up at the sound of Malon obediently keeling over and falling off her chair, landing spread-eagled on the floor with her eyes shut and mouth hanging open. The sight of this distracted her so much that she didn't hear the front door open and close, and only looked away when Link, sweating and red-cheeked, came into the kitchen.

"What's Malon doing?" he asked.

"Playing dead," Zelda replied. She narrowed her eyes upon noticing that Link was carefully keeping one hand behind his back. "What's that you're hiding back there?"

Link only smiled and nodded to the other room, which he began backtracking into. Curiously, Zelda got up from her chair, stepped over Malon, and followed Link. The unavoidable sight of the humongous Christmas tree brought a reluctant smile to her lips, and she was thus momentarily distracted from noticing that Link was now holding out a small box in front of her. s

"Zelda Cleverly," he said quietly, opening the box. "I consider myself to be the luckiest man on the face of the Earth, for having had the opportunity to work for you. But I know respectfully must hand in my few-weeks notice, because I want to resign and ask you to marry me."

Inside the box there was a humble ring—or at least, it was as humble as wedding ring can be. The golden band featured a square pattern of small, round diamonds at the front and center. It looked so minute and modest in comparison to all the wedding rings Zelda could remember her mother ever putting on—and for this reason, she absolutely adored the piece of jewelry that Link was offering her. Trembling noticeably, Zelda raised her hand, and Link quickly caught it. He slid the ring onto her finger.

"Perfect fit," Zelda whispered. She looked up at him, narrowing her lavender eyes at his sapphire-like ones. "How did you know my ring size?"

"Oh, a little bird told me," he answered. "A little bird who is pretending to be dead at the moment…"

"Wow, you mean I got it right?" Malon called from the kitchen. "I was totally just guessing! Go me!"

"Yes, Malon, you are awesome," Zelda said. Almost not daring to believe it, she looked down at the ring again and had to work hard to suppress a silly grin from plastering itself all over her face. So it was with a slightly more serious tone that she said, "Link, it's beautiful. Thank you."

He grinned at her. "I love you, Zelda," he whispered.

The smile was coming back. "I love you, too." Only a few weeks ago, she had thought that she'd never be able to say those words again—it was just false, empty, cheesy speech, that no one said outside of the movies. Yet here they were, those four ridiculously pleasant words, rolling off her tongue like it was the easiest and plainest thing in the world. And it was true, she knew it. She knew it because just telling Link she loved him filled her with an almost foreign, warm feeling that she knew she had not experienced in years.

"Aw, get a _room _already!" It was Jack, just coming down the main stairs and interrupting the tender, tacit moment that Link and Zelda were sharing. He laughed when the two of them jumped apart, as if he had walked in on them doing more than exchanging an amorous glance. Jack looked into the kitchen and said, "Hey, uh, what's Malon doing…?"

"Playing dead," Link and Zelda answered simultaneously.

"Oh." And he continued talking as if this were a perfectly normal thing for the redhead to do. "Zel, may I have a word alone with the uh, future bro-in-law for a minute? No, I know, just for a sec, okay? Go try and see if you can revive your pal." He waved to the kitchen, and after giving Jack a suspicious look, Zelda turned and headed for Malon. Jack threw an arm around Link and whispered, "So! How you been, pal?"

"Uh, not too bad since I last saw you about nine hours ago," Link replied, eying Jack warily.

"Good! That's fantastic. So listen—Viv and Terra were telling me that they're throwing Zelda a bridal shower, which is probably a good idea because they want to do _some_thing, and I think a bachelorette party would be too much. This does not mean, however, that the fellows and I are above throwing _you _a bachelor party! Huh? What do you say, pal?"

"That's a very kind offer," Link said, pulling out from Jack's arm and shaking his hand. "But I'm afraid that for your sake, I should decline. I wouldn't be a very fun guy to throw a party for, Jack. I don't drink and I certainly don't want any strippers."

"Hey," Jack said seriously. "In case you forgot, you are going to marry my little sister. You think I'd have some other woman dancing around and taking her clothes off in front of you the night before you and _my little sister _were bound together in holy matrimony? Because I do not stand for that kind of stuff. My other friends, sure, maybe, but not my future brother-in-law, you got me Link?"

"Uh, sure. okay."

"I'm totally serious, man. And no worries about downing a drink, either. We could go to a batting cage or two, light some fireworks 'cause that's what guys do, and then maybe go to a bar for the sake of the other fellas—but you wouldn't have to drink a drop, pal, I mean it."

And so, thanks to the incredible persuasive tactics of the Cleverly kids, both Link and Zelda ended up having parties thrown on their behalf in only a few days after Thanksgiving. The holiday itself was as chaotic and hectic as could be expected with a house full of so many people, but the celebrations were overall quite fun. All the ladies swooned over Zelda's ring (after Malon had pried her into the center of attention), and everyone was giving the couple their hearty congratulations. Predictably, the only one not joining in this particular festivity was Clarissa, who was still shocked that Zelda could have made such a spur-of-the-moment decision. The most social thing she ended up doing was coming down for dinner in the mid-afternoon, eating her turkey in a savage manner while barely tolerating the Christmas music and small children that surrounded her on every side.

"No, no, mom, you don't get to sneak away just yet," said Terra after dinner, when the family had broken up into smaller groups and Clarissa had tried to sneak upstairs. Grabbing her jaw-clenched mother by the elbow and dragging her back into the left side of the palatial living room, Terra said, "We're playing a game."

"What nonsense is this?" Clarissa growled through her teeth. "The children are all downstairs playing their Nintendo games if you want to _play_, Terra."

"It's not really a game, so to speak," clarified Vivien once Terra had forcibly sat Clarissa down in a large chair by the fire. "It's just a little Thanksgiving tradition thing that we have. You know, on Halloween you get free candy, at Christmas you have little gifts in the stockings, and on Easter you hunt for eggs. Well, at Thanksgiving, the thing is right there in the name. We want to give thanks. So we want to know what everyone is thankful for this year. Mom! Why don't we start with you?"

"Come on, Scrooge," Zelda snorted from the loveseat she was sharing with Link. Clarissa only fixed her with an icy glare.

"I'll start," Link offered.

"Oh, of course," Clarissa snorted. "Let me guess, young man. _You _are just unspeakably grateful for having met my daughter, is that it? The planets aligned, the gods bestowed upon you many a great blessing and gift so that you might be able to somehow woo her out of her normal state of mind. You are grateful that for some reason she took Vivien up on her offer to come out here for Thanksgiving, so you could catch her in an unusual setting and trap her into marrying you! Is that it, _Link_? Is that what you are thankful for this year?"

"Mother, I swear, if you don't shut up, I'm going to push you right into that open fire behind you," Zelda growled. Without another word, she stood up and headed for the front door, opening it and closing it behind her with a loud slam.

Clarissa put a hand to her heart. "That ungrateful little brat, how dare she talk to her mother that way!"

"Would you give it a rest already, mom?" Vivien sighed. "You can't actually be surprised with her, can you? I mean, you keep putting down Link in front of her, without giving him half a chance! That's being too generous, actually—you're just being downright cruel, to both of them! You have no right to just barge in and—"

"I am her mother, that's right enough!"

"Oh sure, play the mom card _now! _You can't just—"

"Um, Vivien?" Link interrupted, feeling very awkward that this conversation was going on right in front of him. "I think I should—"

"—no, no, Link, I'm on a roll." Vivien drew herself up to her full height, which was admittedly not all that impressive, but her expression was hard and her jaw set as she announced, "Mother, if you don't think you're going to be capable of being civil for the rest of your time here, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave my house. Yes, it's come to that. But we have tolerated so much crap from you over the years, and I refuse to sit through another moment of it! We are a _family_, so if you don't start acting like you're in ours, you can just shove out!"

A very awkward silence followed this proclamation, as Clarissa looked at each person there in turn. When no one said anything, she got to her feet in a huff and glared Link directly in the eye, shaking her finger at him: "I swear, boy. You put one toe out of line or hurt my daughter in any way, and there will be _hell _to pay." And with that, she swept out of the living room and up the stairs to pack her things.

"Just make sure when you leave that you use a side door, because I'm sure Zelda's still moping outside the front one," Vivien called after her.

"Should I go talk to her?" Link asked Terra.

"Who, Zelda?" She smirked. "Or my mother?"

"Er…either, I guess."

"No. I think Zelda needs to be on her own for a short while, just to cool off. You've probably noticed by now that she's not really at her best after having a row with dear old mom. And if you want to go ahead and have a little chat with Clarissa Cleverly, well, that's pretty much like walking into the lion's den."

"Yeah, a bit," Vivien agreed, nodding fervently at Link. "Only you're not just going into the lion's den, but you're putting your head in the lion's mouth. And you're not Daniel, so God won't bail you out. You would actually die."

"Thanks for the advice, guys," Link said, standing up and tugging down his sleeves. "But I'm going to risk death for this one." As he headed for the stairs, he thought he heard Malon whistling a dirge; he turned around and saw her quickly avert her gaze. So he steeled himself once more and got up the staircase, then headed for the room whose door was open and in which he could hear the sound of quick, frustrated packing. He saw Clarissa hurriedly throwing her things into a large, extravagant suitcase, and she didn't notice his presence until he knocked on the doorframe. "May I come in?"

"I don't see why not," she snorted, returning instantly to her packing. "This isn't _my _house, after all, it's Vivien Lee's!" Her next few mutterings seemed to be directed more to herself than Link: "Ungrateful, spoiled … going and throwing her _own _mother out, what did I raise her to…? …not the end of this…!"

"Mrs. Cleverly, are you…crying?" Link asked, taking a few steps closer.

"NO!" she yelled quite louder than was expected. But there was the evidence she was lying, right there in her eyes, which were sheen over with glistening, yet-unshed tears. In her attempt to blink them away, two fat tears rolled down her cheeks and she grunted in frustration. "All right, _fine! _Are you satisfied? Are you thrilled? Go on back downstairs and tell everyone that you came in here and saw the old battle axe crying like a child, go on, I don't care!"

"I wouldn't do that," Link said seriously, as Clarissa's packing became faster and thus noisier. "If I were to tell them at all, which I won't, I'd never say you were crying like a child. Crying like a child might be, say, if you were to cry after skinning your knee. Funny story, actually. One time I was at the zoo with your granddaughter, and she tripped and had two cuts, one on each knee, each one gushing blood. And do you know how many tears she cried over it? Not a single one." His eyebrows contracted when he thought he saw a smirk of pride come over Clarissa's face. "And do you want to know what I thought of that?"

"You're about to tell me, regardless."

"I was shocked, really. I know older people who'd have been sobbing over it, but Megan just stood there like it was nothing. Malon got it, but I didn't, not just then—but this little girl was raised by a woman who grew up believing that crying was not acceptable for anyone over the age of two. That's wrong, Mrs. Cleverly. It is inherently wrong. I submit to you that you, right now, are not crying like a child. You are crying like a human being, and to be frank, if I was in your situation right now, I would most likely be bawling about it."

"Don't presume to tell me how you would feel in my shoes!" Clarissa hissed, going to the dresser and grabbing her things there, sparing Link an angry glare when she could. "Don't you dare!"

"Getting chewed out and then thrown out by your own daughter? Yeah, that's gotta be rough," Link said, putting his hands in his pocket. All cards were on the table now, and it was time for Clarissa to get a taste of her own medicine. "But you want to know why you're crying, Mrs. C? It's not even because Viv wants you to leave—I don't think she _wants _you to leave, she just wants you to be polite. But you're sorry. You're sorry you haven't been better, that if you could just pull it together for a few more days, you could stay and everyone would be happy."

"I do not appreciate what you are saying, young man," Clarissa said in that dangerous whisper of hers. "And I do not appreciate your sweeping your way into my daughter's life, and forcing her to—"

"Mrs. Cleverly, if I may," Link interjected, speaking in a louder voice to overpower her. "If you think I just came prancing along into Zelda's life and _forced _her to marry me, then you know her less than she thinks you do. Your daughter is the most brilliant person I have ever met. That, and also one of the most self-confident."

"Self-confident, is that so?" Clarissa asked, zipping her suitcase shut. "Wasn't it just last night that Zelda was telling me before you, knight-in-shining-armor, graced her existence with your presence, she was depressed? I was under the impression that depressed people were not particularly self-confident."

"What I meant is that when she makes a decision, she got to it herself and she doesn't let anyone else do the thinking for her. You _must _know that. So every time you make some snide or hurtful comment about _me _…and you know what, I wouldn't even care—but every time you _do _that, Zelda feels it like you're saying it to her. Because your judging me is also judging her decisions and her opinions."

"How nice of you to go ahead and tell me what Zelda is feeling," Clarissa said sweetly, pushing past Link to get out of the door. "But I am not going to stay here any longer where I am not wanted. And I'm certainly not going to stick around to see Zelda get entangled further in your misogynistic web of deceit!" The sound of her high-heeled shoes and mutterings to herself echoed slightly down the hall as she stalked away.

_Well, sir, you really put your foot in it this time, didn't you?_ Link thought as he walked towards his room. Clarissa must have come to Vivien's in a rental car, because a few moments later, Link heard an engine rev up before fading into the distance. He ran a hand through his hair and half-shut his door. To his slight surprise, talking so directly to Mrs. Cleverly had caused him to sweat quite a bit, which was all the more unexpected as it was so cold. Fumbling in the closet for another shirt, Link peeled off the one he was currently wearing and tossed it into a pillowcase he was using as a dirty clothes bag. When he heard the door close quietly, Link ducked out of the closet and saw Zelda walking slowly towards him.

"No, no, it's fine," she said, when Link hurriedly reached to put on a shirt. "I just came up here to see if you were all right." With a heavy sigh, Zelda sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry my mother's being so horrible to you. Really, I… I wish there was something I could say, but there just isn't any way to explain or excuse it. She has and always will be just plain, old, take-me-as-I-am Clarissa Cleverly."

"Zelda, I feel terrible," Link muttered, taking a seat on the chair by the dresser. "It's my fault your mother left. I shouldn't have intruded on all this, on this family holiday—she wouldn't have gone if it wasn't for me. I mean, what right did I have to come and…? Man, I'm such a jerk."

"Link, you're playing right into her hands," Zelda said, trying not to laugh at what she thought to be his adorable naïveté. "Lord knows I've done it enough times, but don't _you _let her get to you this way; it's just what she wants." When Link still looked downhearted, Zelda pursed her lips and went on: "When my mother walked out that front door a few minutes ago, everyone downstairs broke into applause! _She's_ the damper on our holiday, Link, not you, never you! Everybody _loves _you! Vivien only invited her out of obligation; she invited you because she wanted to get to know you and because Megan absolutely adores you. No one is sorry, Link, no one. So I wish you wouldn't be." She coughed awkwardly. "Besides, if you hadn't come on this trip…"

He looked up at her, where she was perched on the edge of his bed, and there was something in Zelda's eyes that he had definitely never seen there before. Her legs slowly uncrossed, and she whispered "Come here" so quietly, that he didn't even hear it, only saw her mouth the words. Without a second thought, Link got up off his chair and went over to join her. She met him in a simultaneous kiss and embrace, moving her hands slowly up to stroke his face.

"If you hadn't come on this trip," she whispered, speaking so closely to him that her cool breath felt like it was cleansing his face, "I would never have realized how much I wanted to do this with you."

It had been years since she'd had something like this, since she'd touched a man's bare back and strong arms; so strong, yet so gentle. His fingers wove deftly into her hair, not grabbing it in an aggressive way but teasing it out, enjoying the feel of it only because it belonged to her. Zelda did not even remember lying down, but suddenly they were in a horizontal position on the bed, and she was filled with an indescribable, over-powerful feeling of love.

Despite the near-freezing temperatures outside, the room was beginning to surround them with heat, pushing in on all sides, urging them to go on and do what was on both their minds. But Link pulled back, and moved to one side, leaning on his elbow and surveying Zelda with a look of intense curiosity. She stared up at the ceiling, waiting for her heartbeat to return to its normal speed—but she couldn't ignore Link's stare for long, and finally shifted her gaze towards him.

"There's only one downside to you and I, er… tying the knot."

"What's that?" Link asked, his brow furrowing slightly in concern.

"My sisters are forcing a bridal shower on me, and unless I am very much mistaken—which I rarely am—my brothers will have some sort of celebration with you. And since you don't really know anyone here, a lot of their friends you've never met will probably end up coming, and I hope they don't leave _too _bad of an impression on you."

"Hey, any friend of your brother's is a friend of mine."

"Hm. You may want to reserve judgment until you actually meet them.

-------------------------

That Sunday, Vivien went to the airport to meet Zelda's three Californian bridal-shower guests. It was never quiet when Viv was around, so the car ride back wasn't very awkward at all, considering that none of them had met previously. Impa (whom Link had called on Thanksgiving to share the news with) was the most quiet, chipping into the conversation only when addressed by name. Schreiber was bouncing up and down in her seat, unable to contain her glee or surprise that Zelda could've made such a hasty and huge decision just over Thanksgiving break.

"Imagine if she _hadn't _taken this vacation!" she kept saying.

Saria was also rather chatty, and although she'd initially felt strange accepting a plane ticket from her student's aunt, she and Vivien fell quickly into a lively banter. Besides, Saria was happy for what this marriage would mean for Megan, of whom she had always thought very highly and believed the girl had deserved a father. Malon was also a pretty good friend, so it wasn't as if there'd be no one for Saria to talk to in Arkansas. The only thing that had hung her up was a gift.

"What'd you get Zelda?" Saria asked Schreiber from the back seat as they pulled onto Vivien's street.

"No! No telling!" Vivien insisted, cutting off Schreiber as she'd been about to answer. "Bridal showers are always the most fun when nobody but the buyer knows what's inside the package, am I right?"

Zelda might've said that Vivien had a sick sense of humor. Because when she opened the present from her sister, her face turned crimson when she saw the scary French lingerie that lay within. Vivien burst out into a series of loud guffaws at Zelda's reaction, while Terra looked suitably embarrassed for her little sis. But everybody else seemed to find it a highly useful if not hilarious gift, and Malon in particular insisted that Zelda keep it.

"Go on, Zel, you've got a great sense of style on the outside!" she laughed, on her fourth drink and starting to show it. "Now let Link see that you've got style when it comes _underdressings_, too! Ha, ha, ha, ha! If you don't want it, I'll take it, but heaven knows I don't have anyone to show it off in front of!"

Tight-lipped, Zelda only tossed the lingerie back into the bag from whence it came and sunk deeper in her chair, as there were no more presents to open. Finally, that part of it was over. But then, some of her other half-sisters and her sisters-in-law began pegging her with questions about how soon she planned on doing it with Link, what kind of dress she wanted to wear, and when the wedding date was set for. Eventually, Zelda stood up and excused herself, rushing out of the room under the pretense of needing a bathroom but really just wanting some quiet for a few moments.

Walking in the general direction of the nearest bathroom, Zelda passed the music room and saw Impa sitting on the bench by the piano. Curiously stepping inside, Zelda said, "I wondered where you'd gotten off to in the last few minutes. Is everything okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, it's fine," Impa said with a smile, playing a few notes on the piano with her right hand. "It just got a little odd, is all. I mean, I'm going to be your mother-in-law, isn't that strange? I can't quite picture it… Zelda, you're a dear, and I care for you tremendously, I just…"

"What is it?" Zelda asked, taking a seat.

"You and my son seem like an odd match," Impa said awkwardly. "He's a good boy, Zelda, but sometimes—I mean, he's…" She sighed heavily. "Oh, don't mind me, Zelda. It's just the jitters! My boy, getting married, you know. It's weird to think! Well, we mustn't be rude—ought to get back to your little party, hm?" And she stood up gracefully and exited the room, leaving Zelda feeling confused and a little out of sorts. It was as if for a moment, a Clarissa Cleverly-like impulse had been about to come spilling out of Impa, but she'd suppressed it, which meant she was one step above Clarissa at least.

_But still, she was thinking something. There's something she didn't want to tell me and that's reason enough to worry…_

_

* * *

_**A/N**: Sorry, that last bit must have seemed a bit odd. But don't worry, dear readers; all will be explained. In the mean time, you've got Link's bachelor party to look forward to in the next chapter, which I pray will come sooner than this one did! Please review :)


	17. But Can It Last?

**A/N**: All right, thanks for sticking with me, folks! I think this story will be a wrap in a few chapters. For now, hope this entry doesn't disappoint.

* * *

After Zelda's bridal shower, the ladies went into the music room, where Saria sat down to play them the piano and the drunken Malon accompanied her, belting out a medley of show tunes. It was at this point that Malon, off-key and inserting dirty lyrics into _Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'_, got Impa to leave said room. Zelda watched the old woman go, and after a moment (figuring that everyone was far too entertained by Malon's antics to notice if the bride-to-be left), followed her.

"Impa, is everything all right?" Zelda asked, catching up after having closed the door to the music room behind her. She touched Impa's shoulder and continued, "You seem like you're upset about something."

"Oh, dear, just look at you!" Impa chuckled, smiling sadly and patting Zelda's cheek. "You're worried sick, and it's my doing. I didn't mean to upset you by what I said, dear, honestly. You mustn't take me so seriously."

"Well…you just look solemn, that's all."

"Zelda, if I were to ever stop you and ask what the matter was every time _you _looked solemn, we'd never have had time to talk about anything else," Impa said. "As a matter of fact, I did try now and then, but you didn't want to tell me what was bothering you. You'd just brush me off, say it was nothing. All right. I'm sure you had your reasons for not wanting to indulge me. Likewise, you must understand now that I can't say anything to you about… about this."

"Wait, Impa, that isn't fair," Zelda said, stopping the old woman as she tried to go up the stairs. "This—this is different, you know it is. You were going to tell me about Link, something about him you don't think I know. Well, don't you think I have the right to know what it is? I'm going to m… marry him, very soon."

Impa sighed deeply, but this time her smile widened and became more genuine. "I don't know what's gone on, Zelda, but you've changed, there's no question of that. You're a different person from when you left California." She looked like it pained her to go on, but the words just came rolling out of her mouth, regardless. "Why, already in the brief time I've been here, I think I've seen you laugh and smile more than I ever have this whole time we've been neighbors."

Zelda's shoulders drooped. "Is that really true, Impa? I must have seemed like such a wreck—just a stupid, depressed—"

"No, no, dear, don't ever do that, don't go around giving yourself the short end of the stick," Impa interrupted. "I know you've got hard times, I know bad things have happened to you. You are not a bad person, and you haven't been a bad neighbor. That isn't what I wanted you to feel at all. What I mean is that—well, would you say that there has, in fact, been in a chance in you?"

It was such a simple question. Zelda ran a hand through her hair, then finally looked up at Impa. "Yes," she said."

"And did it have to do with Link?"

"Yes. Yes, it did." Zelda's eyebrows contracted a bit and she tried to discern Impa's stoic expression. "Please, Impa, tell me what's on your mind."

"Dear, I don't want to upset you any further," the old woman sighed, although her voice had the tone of defeat as she sat herself down on the stairs. When Zelda joined her there, Impa put her hand over her mouth for a moment and then met the inquisitive blonde's gaze with watery eyes. "You'll think me just a foolish, elderly woman, Zelda! It's really nothing to get worried over. It's just …I want to make sure you understand about Link and his past before you get, er, married."

"His past? How do you mean?"

"Did he tell you he spent two years in military school?"

Zelda almost laughed in relief. "Yes, he did. He told me all about that, and his principal back in the public school."

"That's not all there is," Impa said. "He came back a changed boy, Zelda. In some ways, the change was unquestionably for the better, but …he can get… oh, dear, listen to me. I'm not doing a very good job of this. But that school, it made him more vengeful than he ever had been before, and he could get angry faster."

"Link? Angry? I've never so much as heard him raise his voice."

"Oh, he wouldn't at you, dear, never," Impa said with a sad smile. "He'd tell me about you and Megan every now and then. He's loved you two for a very, very long time. I just don't think he caught onto it right away, like I did. However …I just think you ought to know, to be careful if anyone should ever rub Link the wrong way. He's very defensive of those who are close to him."

"How defensive are we talking, here?"

"I'm just remembering this one time that my husband and I fell into a bit of a, uh, disagreement. And Link, well, he never really cared too much for his father, which only helped to further stimulate his anger on my behalf."

"So what exactly are you telling me, Impa?" Zelda asked patiently. "There's a whole, evil side to Link that I've never been privy to before? That he's going to get all Incredible Hulk on me?"

Appearing as if she was trying very hard not to roll her eyes, Impa once again exhaled loudly. She got to her feet, and Zelda followed suit, eying her with concern. "I told you, Zelda, this was nothing to get upset about it. It's just—" And here, she was going to completely change her argument—"You and Link are two very different people, _very _different. He's very laid-back, he likes to, you know, be around people. Now don't take that the wrong way!" she quickly added. "What I mean is that you're more of the private type, you tend to focus more on work and on what's going on inside the box. You two just seem like such an… odd… pairing."

Admittedly, Zelda felt slightly hurt by this. She put a hand to her heart and leaned against the banister. "Impa, I have to say this is coming as a surprise. I thought you and I were …I don't know, friends."

"Oh but we are, dear, please say we are!" Impa said earnestly. "I don't mean to be saying that I love my son and don't love you, that you don't deserve him—I just feel like the two of you make—"

"An odd pair, yes, you've made that clear," Zelda interrupted her. "Well, sure, maybe you're right. Link's an extrovert, and he's cheerful all the time and everybody loves him. I didn't always used to be the way I am now, Impa, but you've only known me for the last six years. I used to be like him, and maybe with him in my life, I can become that way again! My Goddesses, I expected this from my mother and I got it, but I must say that I certainly wasn't expecting it from you!"

Knowing Clarissa Cleverly's reputation for being less-than-polite, Impa was taken aback by this statement. "Okay, perhaps you have a point. Opposites do attract in some cases, it's just that you and Link are, well, really opposite. Surely you've noticed?"

"Yes, yes, I have noticed! That's what makes us good for each other, we're…" She stopped suddenly, having just realized something she'd never given much thought to before. Link was the best thing in the world for her, and this she knew, but what could _he_ possibly gain from this union?

This wasn't a mistake, was it?

* * *

By 8:00 that night, Link had been chaperoned by Jack and Will to Jack's friend's house for a bachelor party. Though Vivien's home may have leant itself well to the party because of its sheer size, Jack had thought it might be best to keep his oft-drunken friends away from the children and breakable valuables in his sister's house. Also, now they could be as loud and raucous as they wanted, without any of the womenfolk disturbing them and their fun.

"I still can't believe it," muttered one of Jack's friends, a large fellow who went by Darunia. He shook his head, downed a shot, and put a hand on Link's shoulder. With utmost seriousness in his voice and expression, he said, "I cannot believe you snagged the white whale." He hiccupped and then burped loudly into Link's face, who, out of politeness, pretended not to notice. Darunia went on: "Zelda. I don't mean to compare her to a whale, 'cause she's kinda petite, if you know what I meant—but I meant precious, hard to capture. How'd you do it?"

"Er…do what?"

"Capture her?"

"You stupid oaf!" laughed another of Jack's friends, Mikau. He slapped Link on the back and said, "Girls aren't captured, are they, buddy? You just gotta reel 'em in, real subtle like, until suddenly they feel as if they can't live without you! And then you get to lord it over them for the rest of your days."

Darunia rolled his eyes. "Sure is a wonder that _you're _not married, Mikau." He once again turned to look at Link, trying to make his drunken gaze focus. "Seriously, dude. Level with us. Zelda freaking Cleverly—we all thought she'd never get with a man again, especially after that first marriage of hers. She was with a real jerk before, in case you didn't know. So… we all just figured she was pretty much anti-man."

"Yeah, I was convinced she was a lesbian, actually," Mikau commented, sitting down on Link's other side. A drunken smile was plastered across his face as he said, "Aw, man, can you _picture _it? I met her friend, that redhead, the other day—she was with Viv at the store, and I was there picking up a few things. Man, Zelda and that babe? I was totally seeing it happening."

"Thanks for your input, but my sister isn't gay," Jack said, appearing out of nowhere and slapping Mikau upside the head. "No more talk of that, you're making the groom-to-be very understandably uncomfortable." He shoved Mikau's head down on the table so he could look Link in the face. "Sorry, dude, they're totally smashed. I hope he didn't offend you."

"Oh, they're fine," Link assured Jack. "Really. Hey, I hear you're about to start a game of poker, can I join?"

"Absolutely, my friend!" Jack said, guiding Link away from Mikau and Darunia (who were now both keeled over the counter, fast asleep). He gave Link a hard clap on the shoulder. "After all, are you not the guest of honor tonight? Now we just play for quarters, I hope you're okay with that. Cigar?"

"No thanks."

Just as they had sat down at the poker table, the doorbell rang. Jack went to go get it, and when he didn't return for quite some time, Link and some of the others went to see what the hold-up was. A smoking-hot blonde was standing in the doorway, holding a radio and dressed in a two-piece delivery outfit. She appeared to be arguing about something with Jack, who, when the woman looked over his shoulder, turned around and winced at seeing nearly everyone there.

"WHOO! Bring her on in!" hooted one of Jack's friends.

"Link, I swear I didn't do this!" Jack said.

At the sound of Link's name, the woman pushed past the distracted Jack and made a beeline for the flustered-looking guest of honor. To general applause and whistling, the blonde pushed a button on her radio, shoved Link into a nearby chair, and prepared to peel off her shirt.

"Stop!" Link said, finally finding his voice and standing up. He shut off the radio and stared the woman in the eye. "Jack, I'm going to take your word and believe that you didn't ask this girl to come here, and whoever did, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to leave if this goes on." He sighed in annoyance as the woman cocked her head to the side in confusion. "I mean it, miss, I don't want you here. I don't know who—who _hired _you, but you can be sure that—"

"Ah, I should've known you'd turn her down."

Everyone looked at the doorway, and the owner of the oily voice stepped into the house. With a smirk almost too big for his face, Marth sauntered into the room. "Go ahead on out to the car, hon," he said, sparing the stripper a glance and patting the small of her back. He waited until she had left and closed the door behind her before he went on, staring at Link with a glint in his eye: "Too noble huh? Oh, maybe I'd better do some explaining first." He nodded over at Mikau's prostrate figure and said, "I was getting ready to leave Arkansas today, you know. Thought I'd stop in the good old grocery store to buy some Budweiser before I left, though. And this guy was talking so loud on his phone, I was almost too surprised he got reception in the store to realize that he was mentioning _you _would be _here _to whoever he was talking to."

"There's a reason you weren't invited, punk," Jack growled.

"I'm aware, Jack-ass," Marth said. "But when I heard your friend here going on and on about how Zellie was getting herself hitched to a new beau, well, I couldn't resist coming by to see him. Again. We've met before, you see. But now, this is different. Now, he's going to be taking my place."

"Don't you ever say something like that to me again," Link snarled, taking a step closer to Marth. "Do not ever say that I'm taking your place. If I was taking your place, that'd mean taking the place of a self-absorbed, abusive, low-down jerk who never did one ounce of good for one of the greatest women in this world."

"Sure I did her an ounce of good, bucko," Marth laughed. "I got her pregnant, didn't I? Gave her a little girl, didn't I?"

"Yeah, one you could kick around, you…" Link ran a hand through his hair and pushed past Marth to the door. He opened it and said, "I don't want to get in a fight with you, pal. Just leave now, and leave _for good_." When Marth only snickered and picked up a handful of pretzels from a nearby bowl, Link continued, "I mean it. Unless you want those shiny teeth of yours punched down your throat, beat it."

Jack wasn't going to be that polite and offer Marth a chance, though. While his former brother-in-law just fixed Link with an amused gaze, Jack launched his fist towards that smug face. Somehow, Marth managed to duck out of the way just in time, causing Jack (who had thrown too much energy into the punch) to stumble forward and fall over a chair. Marth was too distracted by this hilarious sight to notice Link marching towards him, but it did grab his attention when Link snatched him by the collar and started dragging him to the door.

**(A/N: to any of you sensitive to violence, you may want to skip to the next line break. Sorry if this next passage destroys your vision of Link!)**

"You just lost your chance, buddy," Link growled, throwing Marth down the front steps and onto the lawn. He jumped to join him there, and before Marth could stand up, Link pinned him to the grass and sank his fist deep into the man's stomach. Howling with rage, Marth swung wildly and missed repeatedly, before effectively sending Link rolling away with a kick to the gut. Keenly aware that everyone in the house was watching him, Marth got quickly to his feet and prepared to kick again, but Link grabbed his foot and brought him crashing to the ground again.

"Stay—away—from—me—and—the—Cleverlys," Link said, punching Marth in the face between each word. He grabbed two handfuls of the man's shirt and pulled him up to eye level. "If I ever hear you've so much as _looked _at Zelda or Megan again, you'll have more of the same, and worse." With one last look of disgust, he dropped Marth and turned to go back into Jack's friend's house. But he heard Marth coming after him, ducked to the side, and grabbed Marth by the arm, throwing him over his own body and once again to the ground. He could not contain himself from kicking out and getting Marth once more, this time in the mouth—and Link quickly realized he had gone too far when he saw he'd made good on his promise: one of Marth's teeth was on the grass, but there were three holes in his gums; and as he was now gagging horribly, it was clear to Link where the other two had gone.

He forced Marth's mouth open and plunged his hand inside. As Marth began hacking even more loudly, Link felt the two teeth near the top of the man's throat, and he yanked them out. "Here," he said roughly, tossing them at the shaking, nearly-retching Marth. "Souvenir to remind you who you're messing with." Then, suppressing every other violent urge, Link said, "I will pay any and all medical bills you get as a result of this fight we just had, but you'd be very unwise to come after me in court, because I know the best lawyer in the country."

But then Link heard it: cop sirens.

* * *

Zelda was mulling over the conversation she'd had with Impa when her cell phone rang. She was so glad for the distraction that she didn't even bother to see who was calling when she answered it. "Hello?"

"Um…Zel? It's me."

"Link! How's your bachelor party going? Nothing too inappropriate, I hope."

"Zelda, I'm really ashamed to say this, but…" He sighed and Zelda immediately perked up, wondering what potentially nasty thing Jack had forced upon him tonight. She was rendered speechless when Link said, "I'm in jail. And …I know this is only getting worse, but my bail is posted at $400, which I'll of course pay you back."

_Jail?! _Zelda couldn't fathom this at all, not Link—in prison? Behind bars? This made absolutely no sense to her at all. How raunchy had this bachelor party gotten, anyway? Bad enough for someone to call the cops?

"I don't know what you're thinking," Link went on. "But it's probably not right, whatever it is. Listen, Jack's going to swing back to Vivien's place to pick you up, he should be there in a second, and he'll explain everything to you, okay?" There was some low grumbling in the background, hastening Link to add, "I'm really sorry I can't say more right now, but I've got to hang up—"

The line went dead. Zelda, frozen, still stood there with the phone at her ear. Slowly, she shut it and stowed it back into her purse. After a few moments, she walked out into the living room, where she was immediately apprehended by Schreiber. "Sorry, not now," she said, before her friend could talk her into sitting down for a chat. Her throat felt strangely dry. "I've got to go, I'm …I want to go for a walk, I mean. I should be right back." Without another word, she walked out the front door to see Jack's car just pulling up on the curb.

Tight-lipped and folding her arms against the cold, Zelda stalked towards the car and got in. "Jack, what the _hell _is this about?" she seethed, as her brother turned around and headed for the Town Center.

"Okay, Zel, let me say something first," Jack said slowly. "I offered to bail out Link myself, I told him we didn't have to tell you or anyone about this, but he refused. He didn't want to keep this from you, he didn't want to lie to you. This undoubtedly reflects very poorly on him at the moment, but _he _was the one who insisted that you know what's going on. How much you tell the rest of the family is up to you."

"Before I can decide that, I have to know what happened," Zelda said, going instantly into lawyer mode.

"Right," Jack said with a long sigh, staring hard at the road. "It's sort of a long story how it happened, but Marth showed up to the bachelor party. I know," he said, sparing Zelda a glance and ascertaining that she looked about ready to blow a capillary. "Fate sort of sucks sometimes, doesn't it? Anyway, he… he did something that was way out of line, and then he kept egging on Link, just being his usual jerk of a self, you know? So I swung a punch at him but I missed, and before I knew what was happening, Link had dragged Marth outside and they were beating the crap out of each other."

"They got into a fight?" Zelda whispered.

"Wait, no, I take back what I said," Jack said, fighting to keep a proud grin from entering his expression (Link had done so well). "Link kicked the crap out of Marth, and Marth really had no other option than to take it. Man, I've never seen a guy fight so well, but—anyway, this girl Marth had waiting in the car for him, she freaked out and called the police because she didn't understand the reason behind Link's attack."

_Link attacked someone_, was all Zelda could think, and it was starting to worry her. What Impa had said, what Jack was saying now—it all just was so… frightening. Jack maneuvered the car into the County Jail's parking lot, and he handed Zelda his wallet. "Here's the bail money, I don't know if Link asked you to cover him for the moment. He'll pay me back, don't worry about it. And Zel," he said, only now catching a true glimpse of the horror in his sister's expression. "Don't get too worked up about this. Guys are guys, right? Well, Marth deserved what he got. I think he had it coming to him a long time."

"Sure, Jack," Zelda muttered, getting out of the car. It was unbelievably surreal, this being led by a bailiff into the prison area, looking at all these other people behind bars before she was brought to a cell that contained Link and two other men. He didn't notice her right away, and so for a few precious seconds, she just stared at him: sitting quietly in the corner, looking harmless as a lamb.

When the bailiff grunted, though, Link looked up and locked eyes with Zelda. Immediately, he got to his feet and walked over to the bars. It pained him greatly to see that hurt and misunderstanding all too plainly in Zelda's eyes. Ignoring the bailiff and two men behind him (who were busily sizing Zelda up), Link said, "I am so sorry."

"What happened?" she asked breathlessly. "I mean, Jack told me but—Link, I… I can't believe you're in _jail! _You! You're the most tender-hearted person I know, how could this happen to _you?_"

Link averted his gaze in shame. "There's no excuse for what I did, there's really not. I just lost it." He tightly gripped two of the bars that were separating him from Zelda. "I'm guessing Jack told you that Marth showed up… and after Marth had been goading us for longer than I ought to have let him, Jack tried to punch him. But he missed, and then he sort of tripped, and Marth just burst out laughing. Something hit me then. I… I could see him laughing at you, and your pain, and your humiliation—all of which he caused. And I just snapped."

The Cleverly instinct not to cry was coming in useful right about now. For while Zelda no longer had any qualms about crying in front of Link, she certainly wasn't about to burst into tears with all these strangers around. But she was feeling almost more confused than she ever had at any other time in her life. Link had gotten into a scuffle with Marth over her—it seemed so high school, in a way—and in a way, she was weirdly grateful. But it had clearly gone way too far if someone had thought it necessary to call the police on Link, and here he was, in jail. She glanced at the pair of men standing in the back of the cell, one of whom winked at her.

"Link, I'm… very rarely at a loss for words," she said quietly. "But I've found myself increasingly unable to find things to say these last few days, and I think it's because of you. I mean, you're always surprising me. But this time …I'm afraid."

He looked as if these words had caused him physical pain. "Please, Zelda, don't be afraid of me. I would never, ever even consider _thinking _of hurting you. I will keep that promise, I swear to you. I shouldn't have done what I did to Marth, but it didn't come out of nowhere. Ever since the first time I met him, I wanted to deck him—and I mean the _first _time, when we were kids. And then Malon told me the things he'd done to you and to Megan, and I met him in person, and I… I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I'm sorry for what I did, and if I could, I'd …do my best to have ejected Marth from that party without hurting him."

"Don't listen to him," yawned one of the other prisoners in the cell. "He's just trying to get on your good side, sweets, and you know why."

"I'll thank you to keep your mouth shut, this is none of your concern," Zelda said to him, in a cold, Clarissa-like voice. She looked daggers at the man, who then silently sunk down the floor and didn't look back at her. With a huff, Zelda turned her attention back to Link. "If Marth ever shows up in our lives again, I swear—it's high time I got some sort of restraining order." She reached through the bars and touched Link's arm, which was slightly bruised. "You don't have to go around getting into fights anymore."

Link gently lifted her hand from his arm and brought it to his lips, kissing it once. "That's why I need you," he said softly. "You and Megan, you're helping me. Before I met you two, I was just sort of… going around, you know. I'd write for my paper, alone in my apartment, talk to my mother every now and then on the phone. Then, sometimes she'd let slip some idiot thing my father had done to her, and I'd have these long, loud rows with him over the phone. There was just all of this sort of, I don't know, pent-up anger inside of me. When it became my responsibility, my _job_, to look after someone else, everything changed. I wanted the best for Megan and for me to become the best I could for her, for you. Zelda, don't you see? I _need _you. You're the sane one, the logical one, the one who keeps my feet on the ground."

"Oh," Zelda chuckled. "Link, without you, I'd never known what it was like to have my head in the clouds …I always thought that was a stupid, foolish idea, something only kids would want. But you—"

"GEEZ," barked another prisoner suddenly. "Lady, would you please just pay his bail and get a _room _or something?"

Looking peeved, Zelda wound up doing just that (well, paying the bail anyway). When they got back to the car, Jack was standing outside of it. He seemed to know that now was not a good time to be a third wheel; he tossed the keys to Zelda and announced that he was going on a walk. Zelda didn't question this, she just got into the car and Link did the same. As they drove back to Vivien's house, neither of them spoke, because each was contemplating what had just happened.

Link was mortified that he had been in jail, albeit for a brief time, and for nearly killing his fiancé's ex-husband. He hadn't gotten into a fight so big since he'd been in military school, and was horrified at how it had just come erupting out of him, out of no where. _No, it didn't come out of no where …it's like I said to Zel, that's been burning inside of me for a long, long time_. But still, that was no excuse. What if he lurched out and did that again sometime? What must she think of him, no _wonder_ she didn't want to look him in the eye.

But he didn't quite catch the meaning behind Zelda's poker face. Though she felt horrible for thinking so, she figured Marth had probably deserved whatever Link had done to him—and after all, Link had only done what Jack had been swearing to do for years. _Already a member of the family, ha_. Although the fact that he'd apparently caused enough of a scene for someone to call the police, Zelda suddenly didn't care about it as much. Just listening to him talk to her had soothed her almost right away. There was something special about him, there really was. Perhaps it was really just getting to her the idea that this desire, this need, was mutual: he said he needed her. No one had ever told her that before.

"Your mother doesn't leave until tomorrow afternoon," she said, as they pulled onto Vivien's street. "Oh, and your friend from high school, Eliza Schreiber, she'll be here until then, too. She'll love to see you."

"Great, that's cool," he said breathlessly, a little uneasy because of Zelda's detached tone. "Maybe we could talk some tonight."

"Maybe," Zelda said, once they were in Vivien's garage. "But first, I want to show you something." Link headed for the door that would lead into the main part of the house, but Zelda said, "No, this way," and led him towards another door. This one went right into the stairwell, and he mimicked her quiet manner of walking up the steps. He wondered if maybe they should tell the family where they'd just been. It didn't feel right keeping a secret like that.

He was so preoccupied worrying about what effect his twenty minutes in jail might have on his relationship with the Cleverly clan, that he didn't notice they were in Zelda's bedroom, and she was closing the door. "I can't believe I was just in a jail cell," he said dumbly. "That's so awful, I am _so _sorry, Zelda."

"Don't be," she said briskly, taking off her coat. "When Jack was sixteen, he got in jail because he smashed into the parked car of some millionaire, who had him hauled off to the local prison. Don't tell Vivien I told you this, but she once spent the night in jail when she was seventeen because she let a friend talk her into shoplifting, and mom made her stay overnight to teach her a lesson. Then, there are the twins—you haven't met them, they're not here—but the DUI's my mom's had to cover up, you wouldn't believe. So actually, you're just keeping up with a Cleverly tradition, even if it _is _a relatively bad one that I hope doesn't happen again. Just know that of all those of us who've done time, everyone will probably think you're the most justified."

Not sure if this was supposed to make him feel any better, Link turned around to see Zelda kicking off her shoes into her closet and switching off the lamp by her bed. Now, it was his turn for a dry mouth. Upon noticing that Link seemed incapable of movement, Zelda walked patiently over to him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and kissed him ardently on the lips.

"Sleep with me," she whispered.

Somehow, it was tacitly understood between the two of them that this request didn't mean for Link to _sleep-_sleep with her, but to actually literally sleep in the same bed as her. She went and lay down, as Link untied his own shoes before going to join her. Zelda frowned upon noticing another bruise, this one by Link's eyebrow—it had been previously covered by his hair. He winced.

"Why is that?" Zelda asked softly. She elaborated: "I bet you didn't even blink an eye when you _got _that bruise, but when I'm trying to mend to it, you wince?"

"I don't even know how I got that bruise," Link said, catching Zelda's hand as it went to touch it again. "All I know is that they hurt. So I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't go for it, okay?"

He leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, and she lifted her arms to hug him around the neck. Zelda felt as if her leg was moving of its own accord as it moved up and hooked behind Link's, drawing him closer to her. Link responded by snaking one of his arms all the way around her, all the while kissing her lips, her cheek, her neck. When they broke off for air, there was a silent agreement that that had been enough. Zelda sighed in content and huddled herself deeper into Link's warm embrace, which was all the more welcome considering how cold it was outside.

Funny, how apparently, these same arms had been used to do considerable damage earlier that same night. But now, all Zelda could think of was how unutterably safe she felt within them, how loved, how gentle. The day had been all so exhausting: her bridal shower, her intense conversation with Impa, getting Link from jail—sleep came much quicker than it did usually.

"I love you," Link said into her hair.

There were a few beats before Zelda drowsily responded. "Thank you."  


* * *

**A/N**: Reviews are awesome. Thanks for reading!


	18. Give Myself Away

**A/N**: OMG! I'm the worst person ever! I am horrified that it's taken me this long to update!!! And I am so so so so SO sorry it has! I can only hope to promise that, since it is now summer, you'll never have to wait this long for an update again! Also, I plan on keeping to my 20-chapter limit so this story should be done soon!

* * *

When Zelda woke up in the morning, she had to try hard not to laugh: Link was lying next to her, his mouth hanging open and his right arm twisted in a strange angle. She was currently lying on his left arm, and she did not envy him the discomfort he would probably feel as a result when he woke up. In an effort to jerk him out of his slumber, Zelda briefly considered sliding her tongue into that wide open mouth of his, but thoughtfully reconsidered (it might've jolted him awake, but probably also caused him to clamp his teeth down on her tongue—which would most likely hurt. Also, the move was far too daring for her). Instead, she thought it might be nice to let him sleep however long he wanted to, so she got out of the bed quietly and moved for the door.

She had to work hard to suppress a shout of surprise after closing said door, because Malon had been waiting outside of it. "A-_ha!_" the redhead squealed. "I caught a glimpse of your room before you shut the door—_you slept with Link last night!!_" She continued to whisper excitedly over Zelda's attempts to butt in: "I knocked on his door this morning because Megan wanted to know where he was, but he wasn't in there, so I told her that he was out for a jog, and I've been camping outside your room ever since!"

"And how long's that been?" Zelda asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nearly two hours. But oh my Goddesses! You! And Link! Sex!"

"No!" Zelda hissed. "No sex!"

Malon at first just laughed and shook her head, but upon realizing that Zelda was quite serious, her expression became one of extreme disappointment. "What? Why no sex?" She gasped quietly. "Can't Link…?"

"I'm sure he can," Zelda said, rolling her eyes. "But if he can't, that's not the reason we didn't do it last night—and can we please move away from my door? I don't want him to be secretly awake and listening to this conversation!" She steered Malon towards the bathroom, where she thought they might have more privacy. After shutting the door, she asked, "Malon, when will you get it through your head that I just want to wait this time?"

"You're afraid, aren't you?"

Zelda sighed in annoyance. "We've been over this already. I have nothing to be afraid of, Malon. He's not going to hurt me the way Marth did. What more could I possibly be scared about? I'm not some nymphomaniac; I don't need to sleep with any guy I think I might have feelings for!"

This immediately set Malon on the defensive. "Hey! Don't judge me just because I have a longer track record than you!"

"Well then don't judge me just because I'm waiting!" Zelda shot back. Both of them surveyed each other with a suspicious look on their faces before breaking into laughter. "What're we, in high school?" Zelda tittered into the back of her hand. "I can't believe we're getting into an argument about this!"

"I think we've stooped to an all-time lameness!" Malon snickered. She sobered up enough to appreciate the fact that Zelda, her once depressed, lonely, slightly-angry friend was now doubled up in laughter, trying to control herself. "Oh Zel," she couldn't help saying. "It's so good to see you smiling again, to hear you laughing."

It was slightly unnerving to Zelda that while she was trying to control her giggling she could not make it stop. With one hand gripping the sink to steady herself, she was still chuckling as she looked up at her best friend. "It feels good to be, Malon. It really does. I'm so… so glad."

An interesting word to use in place of "happy," but whatever. Deeming it time to leave the bathroom, Malon opened the door before sinking into an absurdly low bow. "Brides-to-be first," she explained, face parallel to the floor but able to tell that Zelda was standing there in confusion. The blonde patted Malon on the shoulder before regally exiting the room.

Saria was standing in the hallway as the two women came out of the bathroom. "Yeah," she noted dryly. "Now that Zelda's getting married, you two better get your little quickies out of the way soon."

"Shut up, weirdo!" Malon grunted, mock-slapping Saria upside the head.

"Oh, whatever, Red," Saria said, ducking to avoid Malon's returning arm. "I just came up here to remind Zelda that mine and Impa's and Eliza's plane leaves in about five hours, and we thought it might be nice for Link to be able to spend some time with his mother before we have to leave for the airport."

Malon nodded approvingly. "You'd better go wake the man up, Zelda," she said with an all-too-obvious wink.

Saria's eyes widened as Zelda headed in the direction of her own bedroom. "Set her straight, would you, Mal?" Zelda asked before going inside. She heard the two of them giggling and shuffling down the stairs, so it was with a heavy roll of her eyes that she went over to the bed. It seemed such a shame to wake Link, who was looking right now as if he'd never gotten such a decent sleep in his whole life.

But, as was inevitable, Link soon squinted heavily before opening his eyes. He smiled slowly at seeing Zelda standing by the edge of the bed. Rolling into a sitting position, he quickly winced upon noticing that his entire arm had gone numb. "Ah… wow, ouch."

"Sorry," Zelda whispered with a pained smile, sitting down next to him. "I'm afraid that was my fault."

Link eyed her warily, but then laughed once he got what she meant. Flexing his arm, he said, "I guess maybe next time I should be a bit more careful about just leaving my arm lying around." His grin grew wider as Zelda rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. Then he jumped upon noticing what time it was: "Ah, shoot! I should've been up hours ago!" Immediately, he jumped to his feet and headed for the door.

Eying him a bit warily, Zelda called after him and said, "What's the matter, it's only 11:00!" She supposed he was just anxious to see his mother, and Zelda wondered if she should stay upstairs for a spell, and let the two of them catch up sans fiancé. _Fianc_é. _I'm Link's fiancé. I'm __a__ fiancé. I'm getting married. _Zelda still could not get it through her mind. In turns it made her delighted, confused, thrilled, embarrassed, and then confused again. Most of all, it was the spontaneity of the thing that worried her. It was just so unlike her.

"Mom…?"

Zelda looked up from where she was still sitting on her bed, and saw Megan standing hesitantly in the doorway. Sitting a little straighter, Zelda motioned for the girl to come inside (which was clearly what the child wanted). Trying her best to restrain her eagerness, Megan clambered up onto the bed next to her mother. For a few moments, they sat their in silence, not touching hands or even looking at one another. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, it just …was.

Eventually, though, Megan got the gumption to start talking. "Mom? You _are _gonna marry Link, aren't you?" s

With a small, amused sigh, Zelda let her ramrod-straight posture slump a little bit. "Yes, honey. I am."

This made Megan brighten up a little bit, although Zelda wasn't sure if it was because of the confirmation or because she had used a pet name (again, something rather uncharacteristic of her). Megan went on: "That's _so _cool, mom. It's gonna be awesome, it really is. Link is just such a… he's a…" She struggled to find words that could define what a great guy she thought he was.

Regardless of her daughter's inability to conjure up the right word, Zelda got what she meant. "I understand, Megan," she said calmly, reaching down and taking the girl's hand. "He is a great man. You and I… we're really very lucky that he came into our lives the way he did. But you know, it means things are going to be a bit different from now on. If we can help it, you'll have no more nannies." She had to smile again when Megan appeared delighted at this news. "Your Uncle Will may have a spot for him on his paper."

So overjoyed at this news (and really just the overall, incredible fact that her mother would be marrying Link) was Megan that she impulsively reached out and grabbed Zelda around the middle, giving her a side-ways hug that was the tightest embrace Zelda had ever received. For what felt like an eternity, her arms lingered there in the air, where she had raised them in surprise at Megan's sudden action. Then, ever so slowly, she tremblingly moved her arms and put them around her daughter. It felt like the first tender moment they had shared in a very, very long time.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the parent-to-child conversation that was going on a floor below them, between Link and Impa. Shut into a study because Impa had wanted some privacy, Link was staring at her completely dumbfounded as he tried to comprehend her explanations as to why she thought his impending marriage was a bad idea.

"I just wish you'd give it a little more time," she kept saying. "Link, you haven't known this woman as long as I have—"

"—mom, I know her in ways that you don't!" he cut in.

Of course, Impa misunderstood this. Her expression was akin to one who may have just swallowed a lemon, but she overlooked what she misconstrued to be a comment on her son's sex life. "I mean it, Link. Now I love Zelda very much, I do, it's just that she's not the first person who'd come to mind if you were to tell me that you're getting married to someone. I've been there, Link. I've been there on the nights she doesn't get home until midnight, then wakes up and leaves the house before her daughter gets up for school! I've seen nannies sent running from that house, some in tears, some looking as if they were being chased by the Gestapo!"

"Okay, you're going a little overboard now, don't you think?" Link growled.

With an indignant sniff, Impa drew herself up to her full height, which was admittedly not very threatening. "I would certainly say _not!_"

"You're comparing my fiancé, the love of my life, to a _Nazi!_"

Very briefly, Impa's expression softened, as though she had never expected to hear her son refer to someone as the love of his life. But she went from looking moved to looking rather sad. "Son, I didn't mean to raise my voice at you," she whispered in an apologetic tone. "I'm just saying this for your own good. I know it's said that opposites attract, and I _do _think Zelda could use someone like you in her life, but… marrying her just seems like it's too much! And I mean, you don't even know her that well!"

Acknowledging that his mother was trying, in her own misguided way, to help, Link took a deep breath and tried not to sound so angry himself. "Mom, you knew dad for eleven years before you got married, and you two were going out for a little less than _half _that time. And I hate to have to call you out on this, but I know that things aren't going the way you ever hoped or imagined they would. Dad's a deadbeat, and he doesn't deserve you. The length of time I've known Zelda for shouldn't apply, here. You said that she needed someone like me; well, I don't know for that, but I _do _know that I really need her."

It was so hard not to believe those sincere, determined eyes, and Impa felt her resolve continue to crumble. "I… I just _wish _I could feel as good about this as you clearly do," she muttered. "Link, I just feel like you're taking such a risk. And I wish you would take a bit longer to think about it. Zelda's just… she's not as family-oriented as I think _you _would want a mom and a wife to be. She puts her career in front of everything else; she's just like her mother—"

Once again, Link cut Impa off: "Do _not_ say that about her! Zelda Cleverly is not the same woman her mother is! Listen, mom, you think you know all about her because you've been her neighbor for the past couple of years, but you don't _really _know ANYthing about her, not the things I do!" He could see her expression was slightly doubtful, believing that he was getting a little extreme. To prove that he was making a valid point, Link said, "Do you know about her first husband?"

"I know he walked out on her," Impa said sadly, clearly feeling very sorry that this had had to happen.

"That's just the tip of the iceberg," Link said hoarsely. "That guy …he …he was… he abused her, mom. He abused her in every way possible. Physically, mentally, he just broke her spirit completely. And it wasn't just him! Way before Marth was even in the picture, Zelda's mother was abusing her psychologically, almost since the time she could walk! The reason you think she's so distant and such a workaholic is _not _because it is her nature or even what she wants; she was bred by her mother to _think _it was her only option, and then manufactured by Marth as just a—a—I don't even know, he just gave her no respect at all!"

"But you," Impa noted quietly. "You respect her very much, don't you, Link?"

"You know what, I do. I do, and it's not for the reason so many people profess to, either. They're scared of her, she intimidates them, and this she did because she thought it was the only acceptable way to deal with a client, or a opponent, or a judge. She doesn't scare me. She fascinates me. Every day I learn something new about her, and every day, I find something new to love and appreciate and respect about her."

Finally, Impa sat wearily down in a chair, pushing some gray hairs out of her eyes. "Link, I just want to make sure you understand what a responsibility this is that you will have. Zelda Cleverly …it's like when you're burning the alcohol out of wine. You keep expecting the flame to burst, but all the fire is contained in one, small pan. And then suddenly, it just fizzles out—" Impa snapped her fingers. "Like that. And you can't see what's been taken away, but there is definitely something that is no longer there. That's what Zelda's soul is like, I can tell. She doesn't confide in or trust anyone; she has to do it all on her own, blazing away until she thinks the hurdle is passed—but she is weaker for it. Zelda is a depressed woman, Link. And I don't mean that in just a 'oh, she can be really sad sometimes' sort of way. I mean I think that she is diagnostically depressed. Do you think you can handle that?"

Link coughed and folded his hands before him. "Mom, after growing up in a house with someone like dad, I think living with Zelda will be a piece of cake." He heaved a great sigh. "We've had some really serious conversations. She's not keeping it all bottled up anymore: I am honored to be somebody who she trusts. Please, don't worry about us. I want you to be happy for me, be happy for Zelda, for us. I'm afraid that if you're too outwardly negative about it all, she's going to listen to you and tell me she wants to slow things down."

"And you want to speed things up?" Impa asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No," Link said with a patient sigh. "Just keep them at the pace we're going. There's no point in prolonging our union, when we could both so clearly benefit from it."

Impa surveyed him long and hard for nearly a full minute. He stared just as stubbornly back at her, preparing himself as he did so to stand up once again for him and Zelda if it was necessary. But, it seemed, Impa had finally caved: "Very well," she said in the voice of one who had very clearly been defeated (and felt every blow). "You have my blessing, son. If she really makes you that happy, that's all I want."

Smiling encouragingly, Link went over to offer his mother his hand. "Then all is well in the world, because you've got one happy son."

By that evening, Impa, Schreiber, and Saria were all en route back to California. The Cleverly clan was eagerly trying to get Link and Zelda to commit to setting a date of some kind.

"I wish you guys weren't leaving tomorrow," Vivien sighed wistfully. "Then you could just get married here, which would be so convenient since almost everybody's already here anyway—"

Terra cut in: "It isn't about what's convenient, Viv, it's about what they want!" She smiled pleasantly at the couple, who both looked supremely awkward and slightly uncomfortable with the conversation at hand. "I think a California wedding would be lovely—and besides, I think we could all stand to have a little break from the ice and wintry sadness of this place, couldn't we?"

A few people nodded, and Vivien swallowed the remark she had been about to make; something to the effect that Terra lived in Arizona and would be getting back to the sunny heat all too soon, anyway. "Okay then, so we'll all come to California," Vivien said. "Find a church you like, somewhere scenic, if you can." Out of no where, she pulled out a legal pad, took a pen Terra had handed her and faced Link and Zelda expectantly: "So. I assume Megan's going to be one of your flower girls, yes?"

"Naturally," Zelda said.

Vivien made a note. "Okay… and how about the… uh… oh shoot, what are they called? The kid with the ring—the ring-carrier? Ring-bearer?"

"I think it's ring-bearer," Jack said. "Wait… right?"

"Well, whatever he's called, you guys know who we mean," Vivien said, once again giving the couple-to-be an expectant stare.

Zelda looked to Link, but after a few moments, he just shook his head. Apparently no one came to mind for him (he had yet to explain this to the Cleverlys, but aside from his parents, he had no family). "Uh, would it be all right with you then if one of my nephews were to do it?" Zelda asked, and Link nodded eagerly. "Okay, then," she said, looking back to her siblings. "I'll leave it up to you guys. Choose someone responsible, who won't do something like swallow the ring."

Jack rolled his eyes as Vivien scribbled down: "Won't… swallow …ring. Great! Okay, moving on. Zelda, have you given any thought towards a Maid of Honor?"

Frankly, this thought hadn't even occurred yet to Zelda. How could she possibly choose one? Or did she? Was it allowed nowadays to have more than one maid of honor? Was that considered tacky? Proof that the bride was unable to choose one other woman who had always been there for her? Terra would probably be the best to help direct the ceremony; Vivien was the most protective of Zelda's sisters, and the others seemed to pale in contrast to those two. Would Deborah, Rachel, Leah, and Marianne be offended if they weren't chosen? They oughtn't to be; they should know that they had never been as close to Zelda as had Viv and Terra—

At that moment, a loud screaming noise erupted from the basement, followed by several loud banging noises. Immediately, the adults were on their feet, save for Link and Zelda, who sat stock still with alarm. "Darn kids!" Vivien muttered under her breath, as insane laughter could now be heard coming from downstairs. "When will they learn that the exercise equipment is _not _to be used for torture devices?!" She followed her siblings and in-laws stampeding out of the room towards the basement, perhaps also for the purpose of leaving the future bride-and-groom some alone time and quietness.

"I guess I hadn't really thought of these technicalities," Zelda murmured, getting up and taking a look at Vivien's paper. "But of course they're right. Certain things need to be taken into consideration." She took Vivien's abandoned pen and tapped it against her chin, glancing at the blank next to _Maid of Honor_. Hesitantly, Zelda wrote Malon's name there. It felt like the right choice—she knew Terra and Viv would understand, and hopefully her other sisters would come around as well. "Can we keep it small, Link? The ceremony, the guests?"

He nodded, but as she was still staring at the legal pad and not at him, he took a step forward and said, "Of course. I prefer to keep things on the quiet side." Link put his hand on Zelda's shoulder, and she flinched slightly.

"What if, for some reason, Marth were to suddenly show up?" she whispered, feeling somewhat foolish for asking the question. "What would you do?"

Link's grip tightened ever so slightly, and Zelda bit her lip, finally turning to face him. "I promise I would act like a complete gentleman," Link finally answered. "And I'd make sure he'd leave. Just keep an eye out on your brothers, though, if you want him to leave unharmed. But Zelda, he won't come." He gingerly kissed her forehead, and he felt her relax. "He's not going to give you any more trouble, ever again. And even if he was going to …I know you can handle him, now."

With that, she realized how right he was. Zelda felt suddenly surged with a new feeling of power, one she had never known before: it had been her who'd gotten Marth to leave Vivien's house, and much quicker than she had anticipated. She had even had the gumption to punch him in the face!—which was nothing compared to what Link had done to him the previous night …no; with those two combined, there was no way he would dare to bother them again. And if he did, it was time for Zelda to exercise some legal power and get a restraining order.

There was only one other thing, then, that Zelda wanted to discuss. "Link? You know how after people get married, they… afterwards, they go on, you know, a trip. Usually for a week or two, I suppose."

Link had to smile at Zelda's inability to say a word as cutesy as "honeymoon." Thinking of where to go hadn't occurred to him, either, but as soon as Zelda had brought it up (albeit in her own, roundabout way), an answer came to him immediately. "How would you feel about New York? Where we first met."

It all came rushing back to her then, the incredibleness of the fact that it was Link Wingfield who had been the one to give her one night of true happiness in her teenage years. Going to New York for a honeymoon (_good Goddesses, it even sounds stupid when I just __think__ the word!_) was sort of a kitschy, sentimental idea, yet somehow, Zelda still managed to love it. "I think that's a fantastic idea," she said, putting her arms around Link. "Let's do that."

He smiled at her, but the tender moment was interrupted when Megan and two of her cousins came barreling into the room. At first the kids didn't even notice the two adults there, until one of the boys tapped Megan's shoulder and she turned around. "Oh! Mom—we're playing hide-and-go-seek from Aunt Vivien, don't tell her we're here!"

"Er…" Zelda eyed Vivien's two boys, who had mischievous looks on their faces. "Does _she _know that you're playing?"

"We made it obvious," one of the boys answered.

"Well, then, I guess we'd better leave you all to your little game," Zelda said, standing up and leading Link out of the room. She was brought to a halt when Megan suddenly dashed in front of the door and took Zelda's hand. "Yes…?"

"Wait, mom! Would you kiss first?" Megan asked, looking anxious.

Zelda suddenly felt a rush of feeling towards her daughter; quite unexpectedly, she scooped the girl up and gave her a hard, affectionate kiss on the cheek. Though Megan was starting to get a little old for Zelda to pick her up and hold her, she had a hard time letting go of her daughter. But eventually setting her down, Zelda asked, "There, how was that?"

"Very nice," Megan said, looking startled yet glad. "But I meant, would you kiss _Link _first." Immediately her face split into an excited, toothy grin, and she clasped her hands together. "Please!"

Link barely managed to contain a chuckle at Megan's enthusiasm, but Zelda felt herself beginning to blush. After all, Megan had already seen them kiss, that time Zelda practically assaulted Link in the snow after having argued with him. But Megan looked so innocent and so desperate, that Zelda couldn't help turning around, taking Link's face in her hands, and giving him the most chaste kiss she could. Bouncing up and down, Megan laughed and couldn't help but burst into applause.

"A-_HA!_" Suddenly, Vivien wrenched open the door. "THERE YOU ARE!"

"Is the game over, now?" Zelda asked, ducking under Vivien's arm and taking Link with her. Apparently, all the kids had been hiding from all of the grown-ups, and Link and Zelda had to work their way through the clump of slightly-arguing families towards the stairs. Laughter and joke-shouting floated up after them as they climbed, once again winding up in Zelda's bedroom. However, they weren't alone for long.

Malon had come bursting into the room, and came to a halt so quickly that she nearly fell over. "Oh—sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to, uh, interrupt anything…"

"You're fine, Mal," Zelda assured her. "What is it?"

Noting Malon's hesitation, Link gathered that he should leave. Despite Malon's embarrassed protests, he patted her on the shoulder and left the room, closing the door softly behind him. A little shyly, Malon sat down backwards on the chair by Zelda's bed. "I saw what you wrote on Vivien's sheet downstairs. Do you …do you really want me to be your Maid of Honor, Zel? Me, not one of your sisters?"

Stretching out and lying down on her bed, Zelda slowly smiled. "I'm positive, Mal. Mostly it occurred to me because any of my sisters I'd have wanted to fill that spot are already married, and I think it's a position typically held by single women." That got Malon to laugh in realization, and Zelda joined her, although not really knowing why. "But besides that technicality, you just seem like an obvious choice. You've been my best friend for as long as I can remember, Mal. You weren't obligated like family to… to do all the things you did for me. You withstood my mom's insults, you held by me during the series of divorces and remarriages that changed my household, you stuck to me on my darkest days. You are someone truly special."

Not usually moved to tears, Malon found her eyes starting to feel a little wet. "Aw, Zel!" she said in a small voice, blinking and causing some of the tears to trickle down her face. "That's so sweet. And I am honored to be your choice."

Zelda continued to stare up at the ceiling, hearing Malon sniffle but not caring to look over and see her crying. "There's just one thing more," Zelda murmured. What she was about to say felt incredibly childish, but she couldn't help voicing it: "I don't think I'll have anyone to walk me down the aisle." This statement was met with quietness, as Malon didn't know how to respond. So Zelda went on: "I guess that'll just be keeping with the Cleverly tradition—giving myself away." The only stepfather Zelda had ever liked was now dead, and she could think of no other male relation she wanted to give her away at her wedding. "Just me… being sentimental. Stupid."

"No, it isn't," Malon said in a low voice. "It isn't stupid, Zel." She got up and sat down on the bed next to Zelda, taking her hand. "Don't let that put a damper on things, though, pal. It's going to be great."

Sitting up, Zelda said, "I know. Mal, I'm just _so _glad that Megan's going to have Link around, now. She's going to have the stability and the paternal love that I never had when I was growing up. I only wish I could have brought it to her sooner than now."

"Well," Malon said bracingly, putting her arm around Zelda. "Better late than never, eh, Cleverly?"

"Yes." Zelda smiled to herself at the formality of the word. "Yeah."

* * *

**A/N**: The next chapter will (finally) detail the wedding.


	19. Eternal Flame

**A/N**: Hey guys! I can't decide whether or not to add another chapter after this one...well, whichever way, hope ya like!

* * *

"Holy crap. Holy crap. Holy crap. What am I doing. What. Am. I. Doing."

"Dude, chill out! This is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, remember?"

"Well then why do I feel like you said the exact same thing to me when I went through with it the first time?"

"I was lying the first time."

"And you're not lying now, huh?"

"Of course not. I gave up lying."

"When?"

"This morning. Tada! Oh, look! Your hair's done. And if I may say so, you look even hotter than usual."

"Gosh, Malon, thanks."

"You're welcome, Zelda. Now look in the mirror."

With a heavy sigh that might have been appropriate if she had just been asked to clean up some cat vomit, Zelda turned around and looked at her reflection in a full-length mirror. Her modest wedding gown had previously been worn by her grandmother, the only family member aside from siblings who Zelda had ever trusted, and who had sadly passed away when Zelda was only twelve. She had not felt worthy of wearing the dress for her marriage to Marth, but wearing it now felt just so very right. The sapphire earrings were from Terra and the elegant silver necklace from Vivien, and they were all indeed quite beautiful, but still all of that could not bring a smile to Zelda's face.

"For crying out loud, Zel," Malon sighed impatiently. "You're not walking to the guillotine, you're getting married tomorrow to who is perhaps the most perfect person to have ever graced this world with his presence! Geez, d'you—do you even _get _it?! Snap out of this mood!"

"I'm trying," Zelda insisted, grabbing two fistfuls of the wedding dress as if about to rip it apart. "The Goddesses know I've been trying, Malon, but it's not easy. What I'm doing here, it's so… it's so something out of a fairy tale, just not me at all. And if I'm really going to go through with it, I have to shut the door on that first part of my life." Without another word to Malon, Zelda turned and headed out of her bedroom, down the stairs that would lead to the main floor of her house. Walking in the wedding dress felt like second nature to her. Stopping in the kitchen, she got a key out from the silverware drawer and made for the first room in the front of the house.

It was a room that, eons ago, Link had tried unsuccessfully to get into. Sitting across from the area where Megan practiced the piano, this room had matching double doors and large, intimidating handles to get inside. It had been a while since Zelda had entered it, but she felt like she was back in some kind of sanctuary when she did. For two or three solid minutes, she sat in the sole chair in the room, her eyes closed in meditation, wanting just to feel peace—a peace that was slowly achieved and quickly disturbed by a knock on the door.

"Zelda?" It was Malon. "Link and Megan just got back from Impa's, and he wants to talk to you."

"Well, to do that, he'd have to come in here, which is impossible."

Malon sighed in annoyance again. "And why's that?"

"I'm in my wedding dress. It's bad luck for him to see me."

"Oh, come on!"

The door creaked open; Zelda had forgotten to lock it again. She stood up, and the door closed behind who had just entered. "Malon, I mean it—" Zelda turned around and the words got stuck in her throat as she saw that it was Link who had come in, not Malon. His expression was one of concern; he seemed not to even notice what Zelda was wearing, only her devastated countenance.

"What is this about, Zel?" he whispered.

She weakly took a hold of her dress again, looking piteously back at Link. "Just superstition. You're not supposed to see me in it… Marth did. Before we got m-married, he saw me in my dress."

"You know that isn't why things didn't work out between you," Link said, and Zelda nodded silently. "Zel, please. You and I… I don't think either of us saw this coming, but this thing we're doing …we're doing it for the right reasons. Not because anyone told us to, or because anyone told us not to. We aren't kids anymore, either. We're responsible adults, totally capable of making this decision of our own free will." He smiled slightly. "Sure, both of our mothers needed a bit of a talking-to, but …in the end, what's right for you and Megan and I—that's all we need to worry about."

"You're right," Zelda said. "And I know you are, it's just that sometimes, I feel like it's so… gimmicky, you know ? Like I'm a little girl playing dress-up." She smirked and sat down again. "Not that I would ever really know what that feels like; it wasn't a very common game in my house growing up." She noticed that Link's gaze had now shifted, and he was studying the room more closely than when he had first entered, remembering that it was the one he'd tried to get into months ago.

He could see now why she would keep these doors locked: the room was utterly depressing. It was painted wall-to-wall with a deep gray color, while all the furniture looked as if it had come out of a funeral parlor: dark, black, and draping. It felt almost like being in a prison, or a mad-house. And then there were the pictures! Two black-and-white photographs, enlarged and placed on either side of the one window in the room; and then there were two paintings on the opposite end.

"Who…is that?" Link asked hoarsely, looking at the photographs.

Zelda, not bothering to stand up, replied, "Greta Garbo. Sad, isn't she? There was this one movie she was in… can't remember the name of it, but she said, 'I want to be alone.' And so the media sort of really took off with that, calling her an elusive, bitter movie star, but really in real life, that's not what she said at all. She said 'I want to be _left _alone.' And obviously, that's a big difference."

Shrugging, Link asked, "What's the difference?"

"The difference…" Zelda stood up to go stand behind him, looking critically at the photographs. "The difference is that in the movie, her character was depressed and disillusioned with the world and with everybody, and actually planned to kill herself." She felt Link stiffen next to her, and so she slipped her arm through his. "She didn't go through with it, though, because suddenly a man entered her life and convinced her that she had every reason to live. The real Garbo, though, she just wanted people to let her be. She was tired of the media attention and the glamour and the overbearing fans—people that were always gossiping, always obsessing, always scrutinizing …she just hated it, and eventually she quit the movies and went to live alone."

"So which one are you?" Link asked. "Garbo, or the character she played?"

Her shoulders drooped slightly. She had never considered that question. "I don't really know. A little of both, I guess. I know how it feels to be followed around and speculated about, and I really hate it. I hate it a lot. But I was also saved, in a way. I was trudging through my life, just going through the motions, and killing myself at work every day because I thought that was all that was important. And then you came in, and I just hadn't ever met anyone like you. Before you…" Zelda nodded at the photographs of Garbo before turning her back on them. "She was the only one who understood."

Link turned on his heel and pointed Zelda in the same direction. "The only one? How about Frida over here?"

"Oh, right," Zelda murmured, laying her eyes on the only color in the room, which was supplied by the two paintings of Frida Kahlo's that she had acquired. "See that one on the left? It's called _Without Hope_, which I guess would also be a pretty good title for how I felt about my life for an inexcusably long duration of time. And the other one… _The Broken Column_, I believe it's called …well, that one speaks for itself, I guess. Both of these freaked out my sisters when I saw them, so I guess that's why I had them shut away in here, so only I could see them. All this pain, all this self-inflicted injury, it just spoke right to me and horrified everyone else. What do you think of them, Link?"

"Uh…well…it's a bit graphic, yes," Link coughed uncomfortably. "And I don't know if it suits my personal taste, but… it definitely makes you think."

There was a long silence between the two of them. Then, slowly, Zelda walked to the door, leaving Link in the center of the room. She turned around so that the paintings and the photographs were all in her peripheral view. "I don't need them anymore," she said in a quiet voice. "I came in here to… to say goodbye. They don't really help me, I don't think they ever did. Standing here, now, I can appreciate why I sought out the comfort and solidarity of their personalities, but I don't think it was wise of me to get as involved with them as I did." Finally starting to smile a little, Zelda said, "Frida had a pretty terrible marriage, and Garbo… she stood up a man at the altar and never got married. I've already had one bad marriage, but I don't think I'm going to get Garbo's cold feet."

"I know you won't," Link said, and hoping immediately afterwards that that hadn't sounded too weird or possessive. "I know you won't let me down, Zelda." He stopped when she seemed satisfied, and another silence loomed over them. Link then noticed a sizeable harp sitting in the corner of the room—it was so large, he wondered how he hadn't noticed it at first. "Oh, wow …do you play?"

Zelda surveyed the instrument for a moment. "Not anymore, I don't think," she answered. She opened the door and prepared to exit it, but left enough time for Link to leave first. It closed loudly behind them, echoing a bit in the large entryway of the house. "That chapter," Zelda said, locking the door, "is definitely closed."

They both jumped when Malon, who'd been standing in the hallway, literally bellowed at the top her lungs, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! IT'S BAD LUCK FOR HIM TO SEE YOU IN YOUR WEDDING DRESS!"

-----------------

The next evening, for what felt like the first time in her life, Zelda thought she had had a perfect day. Everything had gone without a hitch. She would later find out that several dozen reporters had been waiting outside the church to get the inside scoop of the surprise wedding of the country's hottest lawyer, but Zelda's brothers had forcefully seen to it that the journalists left. It _did _seem very strange to a lot of people that all of a sudden and out of no where, Zelda Cleverly was getting married—to a nanny, no less. It was even more of a shock to the family members who hadn't been able to go to Vivien's for Thanksgiving and had not even been aware of Link's relationship with Zelda, let alone of his very existence.

But not of that really mattered, because no one could ever remember seeing Zelda so exuberantly, so sincerely happy. The smoothness of the ceremony reassured her immeasurably; so much so that she forgot to be embarrassed by her sudden outpouring of emotion. Honestly, she could not for the life of her recall ever having experienced such a myriad of feelings in such a relative short amount of time. She was afraid to trust how excited and happy she was, just talking to and smiling with Link …her new husband. Husband! Wow. It was a strange thing to process, but it only took one look at him, one look at Megan, to know she had just made the greatest decision of her life.

There was only one thing Zelda wasn't sure how she felt about, and that was the fact that Clarissa had not come to the wedding. On the one hand, she was glad her mother hadn't showed up, because she worried that all they might do was argue. What fun would it be if Clarissa were just to glower in the front the whole time? But still, there was the part of Zelda that just wanted her mom to be there, to be supportive, and to be happy for her. Was that really just some fantasy, or could Clarissa Cleverly actually be physically capable of doing such things? Either way, Zelda couldn't dwell on it for too long. She wasn't going to let it ruin what was possibly the only perfect day she'd ever had.

Zelda, who'd been quite afraid that she might throw up during the ceremony, was so relieved not to have done so that in retrospect, it may have been with a bit too much ardor that she kissed Link to seal the deal. This had sent her daughter into a cheering/ applauding frenzy, which at first seemed irreverent until everyone who had congregated there joined in. Because of the sheer size of her family, Zelda's invitees seemed to have dominated the church, but this wasn't to say that Link hadn't had his fair share of guests as well (Schreiber sat with his crowd, as to help make it look like he had more friends). In addition to his well-meaning but still-uncomfortable mother, several of his best friends from New York had flown over for the weekend.

This included his best friend and also Best Man who was named Shad. Something of a rather bookish fellow, Shad was nonetheless still quite cute, and Malon had been trying all day long (with varying degrees of success) to catch his eye. Finally she just wound up approaching him before the reception began, and discovered that Shad was so unused to women checking him out that he'd assumed Malon had just been squinting his direction due to some dust in her eye. With her flirtiest and most winning laugh, Malon made him promise to dance with her as soon as the traditional bride-and-groom dance was over.

Terra's oldest son was the deejay, making her (and Vivien) feel more than comfortable storming his table and taking the microphone before Link and Zelda had even gotten up from their seats.

"We really had to pull Zellie's leg to get her to do this," Vivien told the assembly of family and friends. "Because as some of you may know, she's not big on dancing. And according to Megan, neither is Link. But I ask you, what is a wedding reception without the bride and groom having a special dance together to kick things off?"

"BO-RING!" Megan shouted on cue.

"That's exactly right, young lady," Terra said, stepping in front of Vivien as everyone chuckled appreciatively. "And so I'm afraid that we had to insist. Zelda? Link? If you please…"

Laughing along with everyone else, Link grinned and stood up, extending his hand to his wife. "C'mon, Zel, what do you say?"

Although she appeared more than terrified at the prospect, Zelda took his hand. She didn't leave her seat, though, as she said, "I will kill them."

"Zelda, you've stared murderers, thugs, rapists, and drug dealers in the face without so much as a smidgen of fear," Link said, sounding almost exasperated. "But you won't dance with me?"

"In front of all these people?" she whispered.

"Just once," Link said quietly, patiently. "I promise, that's it."

Finally, to general applause, Zelda took his hand and followed him out to the floor. "I know you said you had no preference, but I didn't even want dancing at this reception, it's too loud," Zelda said through her teeth, though she too was beginning to smile. "But Malon wouldn't hear of it."

Vivien took the microphone back from Terra. "Okay, Zelda, I know you're going to think that this is _so _cheesy and so awful and so 1980s, but we knew that you weren't about to pick a song yourself. So we did it for you. This is the song Terra and Jim danced to at their wedding, and as you can see, it's really worked for them. All right, you two!"

Zelda chuckled to herself in embarrassment as Terra's son hit the music. "Oh, my Goddesses. I can't believe I have to dance to this song."

It was "Eternal Flame," by The Bangles, which had in fact been Terra's favorite song for years—and her sisters always teased her for it. Link had to smile as well, not sure why he knew the lyrics, but able to whisper them along once they started to play: "_Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling…_"

_Can you feel my heart beating, do you understand?_

Not wanting to close her eyes, Zelda accepted Link's hand and hesitantly took a step. She fixed her gaze on his, and suddenly, it was as though he was the only other person in the room. It was a sweet song, really. Or really, it may just have been the power of the memories it gave to her that made Zelda feel as if she was about to tear up. Terra had always sung it around the house, and now, Zelda was dancing to it with someone who loved her more than anybody else in the world. The lyrics were starting to come back to her, as well—with her head as close to Link's as it was, she could whisper them into his ear, attempting to follow the tune:

"_Say my name, sun shines through the rain; a whole life so lonely, and then you come and ease the pain; I don't want to lose this feeling…_" That's when the first verse kicked in again, but Zelda spoke a little louder into Link's ear: "I don't ever, ever want to lose this feeling. If someday I am upset, or sad, or questioning any aspect of my life …I want to come back to this moment, and remember how I feel now."

Malon had planned on doing some sort of catcall during Link and Zelda's first dance, but now, actually seeing it, she wouldn't have done it for a thousand dollars. The moment was just too sweet and unbelievably precious to ruin with something so uncalled for. She hoped that someone had a camera and was recording this dance, but even still, Malon knew that no image caught on film would truly be able to capture the pure and palpable ardor that Link and Zelda were exuding.

It felt as if the song was over far too soon; Terra and Vivien walked back down to the dance floor, leaving it up to the deejay to choose some more contemporary and appropriate tunes. As soon as "Eternal Flame" had ended, Link and Zelda moved hand in hand back to their table. For them, it was much more enjoyable to watch the others dancing than to continue participating in it themselves (although Megan did manage to drag Link out a couple of times, most notably for the cha-cha slide and "Brown Eyed Girl"). Malon in particular seemed to be having way too much fun for Shad, who appeared to be getting increasingly alarmed that a girl could be so forward.

"Where did you meet Shad, anyway?" Zelda asked.

"We worked on the paper together," Link answered, barely unable to contain his hysterical laughter as Malon got more and more into the dancing and Shad looked more and more frightened. "I don't think he's ever been around a woman as… uh, unique as your friend."

Zelda smirked, lifting her glass of champagne and saying, "Well, maybe when he's had as much to drink as she has…"

There was one cutesy tradition Zelda refused to give in to, which was the bride and groom feeding each other the first bite of the cake. This turned out to be a nonissue anyway, because several of her nephews—left unattended for only a few moments—had taken it upon themselves to test out the cake for their beloved aunt. Though the boys' parents were mortified, Link and Zelda just laughed it off, insisting that it was not only no problem but actually something of a relief.

Terra's son put on "Single Ladies" while his mother forced a bouquet into Zelda's hands and insist she throw it to all the… single ladies. Merely to humor her sister, Zelda took the flowers and tossed them over her head. Something of a small fight ensued as various relatives and friends attempted to catch them—not including Malon, who was on the other side of the floor doing the Single Ladies dance. When the scene had cleared, it turned out to be Megan who was holding the bouquet, looking confused at her own success. Everyone had a good laugh over that, except for a few drunken friends of Link's who insisted they would die if that little girl got married before either of them.

"How about the garter?" Vivien whispered excitedly into Zelda's ear.

She blushed in response to this. "I'd really prefer not to do that, Viv." For the first time that day, Zelda permitted herself to recall her first wedding. Marth's disgusting leer as he took the garter off her leg still haunted her. Her expression communicated this to Vivien without words, but Zelda also couldn't help noticing the slight disappointment present in her sister's face. "Well," Zelda sighed. "I _did _already do my part …I guess it would be weird not to let Link do his."

So, to nearly everybody's great astonishment, Zelda sat on the chair that Vivien had set up for her and held her leg out for Link. Biting her tongue at the genuine surprise in his face, Zelda pulled her dress up the slightest bit and tried tacitly to convey to him that he should just get this over with. He felt a bit strange taking Zelda's garter in front of her large, hulking brothers, so Link was in no less of a hurry to get it done. However, he couldn't help but notice what an incredibly nice leg he was taking the piece from… anyhow, Shad ended up being the one to catch the garter, and he paled noticeably when Malon "yoo-hooed" him from the other end of the hall.

For the next dance, Link finally convinced his mother to accompany him to the floor. Zelda was more than content to just sit there and watch them, but her own daughter would have none of that. "Come on, mom!" Megan said, suddenly showing up out of nowhere in her pink, stylish dress. "Dance with me!"

"Oh, honey, I don't think I should."

"Mom, _please?_"

It was hard to resist those big blue eyes for too long. Zelda resignedly stood up and followed Megan to the dance floor, wondering if it would be possible to hold a conversation with her over the incredibly loud music. Being a kid, Megan wasn't exactly what you would call a graceful dancer, but Zelda found herself having too good of a time to feel embarrassed by her own clumsy moves.

"What're we doing after the party, mom?" Megan asked.

"Um—you're going to be spending the night at Uncle Jack's. Won't that be fun? Aunt Terra and Aunt Vivien and their families will all be there, too…"

Megan's smile broadened. "Okay! You and Link will be there too, right?"

Zelda couldn't tell if she was blushing, because she was already red-faced and hot and from all the dancing and crowds of people. "Um …no, not tonight. We're going to be staying at that really nice hotel we drove by yesterday, remember? In town? And then tomorrow Link and I are… going on…"

"The honeymoon?" Megan offered, and Zelda nodded weakly. "Mom, why do you look scared?"

"I'm not scared," Zelda said a bit tersely, the way she used to always respond to an attack on her courage. Immediately she softened her expression and her voice upon seeing that she had sort of taken aback her daughter. "I'm not scared, Megan. I'm just not sure what to expect."

Megan didn't really know what that meant, but whatever it was, she was sure that her mother was more than capable of handling it. The song ended, but Link managed to get Impa to dance with him once more; Zelda, though, offered up Schreiber's son to replace her, as he was about Megan's age. (This meant that they refused to actually dance together, being afraid of cooties, but they did their best to appease the bride by at least not running away from each other.)

By the end of the night, Malon had finally plugged the Best Man with enough drinks that the two of them were to be found making out in a corner of the room, apparently with no intention of stopping any time soon. Couples and families began to leave, until at last only a handful of the Cleverlys were left. Jack, Terra, and Vivien had no trouble rounding up their kids, as most of them had fallen asleep, but Megan was reluctant to leave her mother.

"What if you don't come back?" she finally blurted out as Zelda tried to get her to go with Terra. "What if you and Link choose to just stay away forever and not to come back for me?"

Link decided to field this one. He got down on one knee, taking Megan's hand and looking her very seriously in the eye. "Listen to me, Megs. Nothing could ever stop your mother and me from coming home to you. Not a team of a thousand horses, not a group of giants, and not a hundred stormy seas. We're going to come back."

"I promise, it'll feel like no time at all," Zelda said. "Megan, you don't have to worry. It's not going to be like it was before. I will be back, I swear." She straightened up, firmly grasping Megan's hand. It felt a bit strange walking the girl to Jack's car. Normally, the blushing bride ought to have been clinging to her mother for support and encouragement, but as Clarissa hadn't shown up (and Zelda never would have clung to her anyway), she was holding onto Megan's hand as if her life depended on it. Somehow, Zelda succored strength from the unassuming, innocent glow now emanating from the comforted girl's spirit. And she would really need it.

Zelda's sister Deborah was the sister-in-law of the manager of the hotel that the newlyweds would be staying at. This had gotten them a bit of a discount on the bridal suite, but not even the assurance that they had saved money could keep Zelda's nerves from working overtime. Her heart thudded in her ears, far more loudly and anxiously than it had during the actual wedding or reception. At least she was no longer in that wedding dress; it was much easier to at least try and relax in normal clothes.

For his part, Link appeared to be calm—but on the inside, the enormity of what had just occurred was just sinking in. He had thought to put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on their door handle (though he hoped that, considering what suite they were in, that should have seemed obvious). But what would Zelda be expecting? Unbeknownst to him, she had been completely celibate for nearly four years. Likewise, Zelda was also unaware that Link had actually never _slept _with someone in his entire life. And now, to be doing it with possibly the most beautiful woman alive?

It was nearly 2:00 in the morning when they were both ready to go to bed, and both of them already felt totally exhausted from the day's goings-on. Zelda felt an onset of panic when the last light was turned out, and they were plunged into semi-darkness, with only the moon streaming in through one slit curtain.

They were lying side by side in the bed, and as Link very slowly put his arm around her, Zelda almost physically felt herself calm down. He kissed her hair, and at the same time, she slipped her hand onto his chest, underneath his shirt. They met in a kiss that began slow, but soon built up in intensity, all this pent-up passion finally unleashed.

Zelda could tell that Link was waiting for her tacit permission before trying anything himself. With a trembling hand, she tugged a bit on her own robe before planting a kiss on his neck. That was the green light. With every kiss and every caress, Zelda felt her fear ebbing away. This was only the perfect ending to a perfect day.


	20. Epilogue

**A/N**: Just a quick little epilogue that's probably not even worth reading, but I decided to write it anyway. This story's been such fun to write, and thank you all so much for reading your lovely reviews!! I haven't got any stories in mind at the moment, and am planning on taking a break- but if you want something good to read, check out the links on my profile!

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_It is only just 7:00 a.m. in the Cleverly household, yet already everything is abuzz with activity. The matriarch, famed attorney Zelda Cleverly, has only just managed to squeeze me in as she tries busily to reschedule an appointment on the phone while putting together some sort of lunch for her daughter, Megan, aged six. Suddenly from outside appears her husband, Link Vaughn, looking as though he has just come from a jog. After giving your reporter (and his co-worker!) a cheery wave, Vaughn gives Zelda's shoulder a squeeze and offers to take over the task of making lunch. Her response to this was a kiss so intensely passionate that it made me actually squirm with discomfort at being in the same room. _

_But then Zelda pulled away and collapsed into the wicker chair across from me. She is smiling in a tired way, a few strands of her enviously pretty, blonde hair falling into her angel-kissed face. Still, it is a smile, and one not many of us have seen her wear before (though she tells me I will probably being a lot more of it from now on). In fact the last time I interviewed Ms. Cleverly, her overall disposition could not have been more different than it is today. _

_Those of us who keep up on the stories of this curiously beautiful lawyer are accustomed to seeing her brow furrowed in deep concentration, a steely look in her eye, and overall a sense of impatience to be getting back to work. There was once a distance there that is no longer present. Finally sitting down in her own kitchen, Zelda Cleverly looks at once so relaxed and so—dare I say it—__happy__, that one is almost thrown off guard. When I attempted tactfully to bring this up, she cut me off: _

_"Yes, I do look much happier now, don't I?" She laughs as I fluster awkwardly, trying to think of a quick reply. I realized that her laughter was a sound I had never heard (or perhaps, deep down, thought she was incapable of producing). It is a pleasant, soft, noise, almost like she can't believe it herself, that this is coming from within her. Instantly, this warms the atmosphere, and you see: she is not a hardened, cynical lawyer, but someone with true feelings and—as I am about to exclusively reveal—true horrors in her past. _

_"It's no secret that Clarissa Cleverly, uh, got around," Zelda says, though she clearly struggled to find the right way to phrase that. "Not the best way to put it, is it? I mean that my mother's habit of constantly remarrying enough to put her in the league of Liz Taylor and Zsa Zsa Gabor—it just had a profoundly negative impact on me, on all of us kids." She smirks at me and adds, "As I'm sure the press pointed out at the time."_

_Link, whom some of you may recognize as the sports columnist for this very paper, now joins us at the kitchen table. "You were one tough cookie, though, weren't you?" he asks, clapping Zelda on the back._

_She is working hard to keep the sadness out of her smile. "He's being kind," she explains to me. "For reasons I cannot begin to fathom, my mother singled me out from all her children and decided I would be the one to follow in her footsteps, whether I wanted to or not. Thanks to her guiding hand and her influence, I got the best education available and the best training to enter her noble profession." _

_Her sarcastic tone is impossible to miss. "Given the opportunity, would you switch careers?" I ask her._

_"No," she says without a second though, looking at me as if I must be crazy to ask such a question. She repeats herself, "No… I am too comfortable in it, too close to my work. I enjoy it, some of the time." Link is looking at her with concern, and she speaks again only when he places his hand on her back. "The joy my mother took from being a lawyer was the power it gave her. She could ruin people's lives, she could raise her voice, she could tell lies …and for the longest time, I thought that was the only way I could win, as well. But I want to help people, now. If I could just make one difference in one person's life for the better through my work, that will make it worth it." She shrugs. "And besides, if I were to quit, all of that education and all of that money spent on it would have been for naught."_

_Link rolled his eyes at this one. I'm sure he highly doubts that anything his wife has ever done has been for naught. His wife! How funny that sounds. I had to ask the pair of them what it was like to be married—and unexpectedly, this question led into another disturbing facet of Zelda Cleverly's past. _

_"I was married once before," she tells me. "To a very …bad man." What did he do, I wanted to know. Zelda could not answer me right away. Eventually she tells me that he was abusive, both to her and her daughter Megan (now nearly seven years of age). She would not, however, go into further detail of the matter, only saying that the man had left her permanently scarred, both physically and emotionally. "I have to say that he turned me off of men for quite some time. Love in general. I just thought it was all a sham, all just fairy tale stuff."_

_"And then you met me," Link teases her. _

_The dazzling smile returns; Zelda leans over and leaves a long kiss on Link's cheek. "Very true. It's funny," she says after a while, returning her gaze to me. She then revealed that she met Link when his mother, her neighbor, recommended him to fill the position of nanny for Zelda's daughter ("and yes," Link says dryly, though Zelda is laughing. "I've been quite a hard time for it already!"). Things progressed normally for them at first, with Zelda not looking his way twice, but she says that over time, she began to realize what a special person was. He had bonded with her daughter in a way no one else, not even Zelda, ever had before, and she says that is what drew him to her._

_Link began to hint that he and Zelda had met once before, but she cut him off, turning to me and explaining that she didn't want to talk about the past anymore. "That's a chapter of my life that I'm trying to get over," she says in a quiet voice. "I'm starting anew, and I'd just like to take this time to apologize to my daughter that it's taken me such an inexcusably long time."_

_Almost as if on cue, Zelda's daughter comes bounding down the stairs. She seems unsurprised to see me there, and indeed only acknowledges me with a small wave as she trounces over to her mother. Megan Cleverly is an astonishingly pretty child, with the same sunlit, golden hair as her mother, an impish grin, and bright blue eyes. When she speaks, it is with a voice brimming with happiness and excitement, as if she is one of those people who inherently grasps the truth that each new day is a gift. _

_"Are you still interviewing?" she asks in a loud whisper. _

_"Yes, dear," Zelda says, giving me an apologetic smile. "Don't worry, you'll get to school on time. Malon's going to drop by on her way to work to pick you up." _

_Seeing how thrilled Megan looked at this prospect, I had to ask who Malon was, and the child seemed only too happy to explain. Zelda filled in here and there to make the story more clear to a near stranger: growing up, Zelda's best friend was a girl named Malon, who she hadn't seen since her sophomore year of college. Then suddenly, in the last year, Malon showed up again in California and Zelda put her up. Though initially she planned only to stay for a couple of weeks, Malon found herself being drawn into the Cleverly's lives, and Zelda says it was she who helped persuade her to stay with Link. Now employed as a baker for the town's popular "Regular Joe" ("a shameless plug!" Zelda laughs), Malon shares an apartment with Megan's piano teacher and frequently visits the Cleverly household. _

_"Actually, we'll be going on a family trip to New York soon, and we've asked Malon to come along with us," Zelda says. "That's where Link is from, and we wanted to show Megan around the place where he grew up." _

_It's obvious that Megan is beyond excited to visit the place. Link explained that he was actually from upstate New York, "a vastly different place from Manhattan, which is where everyone assumes I mean when I talk about New York. It's more like a Midwestern state, actually, where I'm from. Very charming, and very rural." At first he was afraid to break this news to Megan, thinking she would be sad that they wouldn't have time to go to the City and see the famous landmarks. "But I should've known not to worry," he laughs. "She's just excited to see the lightning bugs." _

_Their trip is for this weekend, and Zelda admits that packing and getting ready to go has been a bit more of a hassle than she had anticipated. "I'm not used to going on vacations of any kind," she explains. "I would go on business trips, but that was all very different. Someone else was planning the itinerary, telling me where I would stay, and I had a very clear understanding of what I was to do while I was away. Now, it's like we have this whole trip to plan, and it's so… exhilarating, and wonderful. When I went to my sister's house for Thanksgiving this year… that was the first time in years that I've left California for something other than work."_

_The look Link was giving her is what made me ask her if something important had happened during that trip._

_"Oh, I'd say so," she says with a smile, looking at me but taking Link's hand. "If I hadn't gone, I very highly doubt we'd be talking to you right now. I don't think I would have ever fully realized the person Link was, and I am pretty confident in saying that were it not for that trip, we would not be married. Now if something this wonderful and life-changing happened when I finally decided to take a vacation—that's something I'm going to start doing a lot more often!" _


End file.
